Angles, Evangelions and Evalons
by Dave19941000
Summary: Nerv was created to protect the world from the Angels, but not everyone trusted their Evangelions to do the job. To fix this perceived problem, a government builds and provides Nerv with it's new creation, the Evalon, as well as a pilot to fight the Angels. How will the presence of this machine and its pilot change the course of the war that ended the world?
1. Evalon 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any copy righted materials explicitly used or referenced, they all belong to their respective copy right owners/contracted distributers operating in the jurisdiction of the location of the host servers of this website.

XXXXXX

It's too warm. It's always far too warm. Ever since he first set foot on the island-nation he had always felt to warm. The others around him didn't seem to think so, but almost all of them where natives of the island and those few that where not had been here for a considerable time, and so had time to adapt to the eternal summer.

But in here, he felt different warmth. This warmth was not one of actual heat, it didn't discomfort him, if welcomed him, invited him, and made him feel at home. He didn't know why, but in this place which reeked of death and paradoxically of new life, he felt at home.

And he was ready.

"Captain Haida, launching."

XXXXXX

Looking at the picture of a scantily dressed woman winking at the camera with the words "look here" with an arrow pointing to her cleavage, Shinji wondered if he had made a mistake coming to the place he was told to meet with her instead of running away to the nearest shelter.

Not that we would have phrased it as such.

But he would.

Looking out into the city, the rundown state that had been caused from lack of maintenance coupled with the overgrowth that was common in cities in the post-impact era, gave the city a cold, empty feeling about it on its own. The abandoned cars scattered in the middle of the roads didn't help. It gave a sense of calm before the storm.

And the storm came with full force.

Flying high over his head, Shinji could see dozens of VTOLs and to say he could hear them would imply that he was capable of hearing anything else. His attention was drawn away from them as he saw what appeared to be a dark blue plane flying with around so fast he almost didn't notice it, and then he lost sight of it. Before he could find it again he felt a clod shill go down his spine as he saw what the VTOLs where preparing to fight.

The dark monstrosity was, if he was going to choose a word for it, unearthly. It's hideous sight defied reason and its mere ability to move spate in the face of multiple laws of nature. Surviving a barrage from the VTOLs, the beast raised an arm and silenced one of the aircraft with some form of energy expulsion from its hand.

The VTOL crashed far too close to Shinji only meters away from him, the collision with the ground nocking Shinji off his feet. Before he could get himself up, the unholy monster silenced anything that may have survived the crash with its foot. The pieces of metal that flew in all directions probably would have harmed or even killed him had it not been for a rundown blue car that placed itself between him and the crash site.

"Sorry." he hears a woman's voice say. Looking up, he sees that the offering him entry to the car was the same woman he had been told to meet. "Get in. Am I real late?"

Diving into the car, Shinji could hear missiles being fired right over their heads at the creature as the woman put the car in reverse and floored it, narrowly avoiding being crushed by a foot of the monster. Quickly turning around, the woman quickly put the car into forward and the car began to move at a pace Shinji had not imagined a working car would, let alone the barley legal machine that was falling apart he was in.

Looking behind them, he felt relief that the abomination had moved its attention back to the VTOLs.

XXXXXX

Looking down at the scene, Haida watched as for the untold time in these few hours the VTOLs, MRLS' and cluster bombs failed to even phase the monster, let alone stop it. With the JSSDF's inability to stop it with conventional weapons clear, he knew it was only a matter of time.

"Captain" a young, female voice said over his comm. "the JSSDF is requesting for you to use the payload on the Target."

"Confirm, beginning my run."

XXXXXX

Shinji couldn't help but feel embraced. The woman who he was with had stopped the car to observe the monster from a distance with binoculars. While she had her sights on the animal, all Shinji could see what her chest.

Seeing the VTOLs begin to move away from the creature as a plane high in the sky dove at it at a fast speed, before pulling up from its dive a hundred meters above it's head.

"Now wait a second" the woman said, removing the binoculars from her eyes. Realization struck her "No! They're going to use an N2 bomb. Get down."

She dove down and covered Shinji protectively. Before he had a chance to ask anything, he heard a deafening noise and, despite not looking in the direction of the blast, his sight was filled with the bright light from the blast. At first it was fine, and Shinji felt confident everything was going to be ok. Then the car was hit by the shockwave from the blast.

Feeling himself, the woman and the car flip over several times, he felt like his body was going to be ripped apart for those moments that felt like an eternity before the car came to a stop on its side.

XXXXXX

He could hear cheers over his comm. And he didn't like it. The N2 bomb was just a glorified nuke which was just the power of normal explosives just increased in magnitude by a factor of a few thousand. Though he had an understanding of 'death by a thousand cuts', he didn't think that nothing times a thousand would equal to something.

Turning his aircraft around after his run, he was unsurprised to see that the monstrosity still stood. It did appear to be slightly injured, and it did stop its movement for the first time since this battle started. He also noticed that a second "face" seemed to be trying to force itself out from under what could barely be called its skin.

"Haida, Nerv-1, Target still stand, repeat Target still stands. Beginning spick run."

Lowering his aircraft to be level with the red…. Thing on the creature's torso, he shared at the monster with the craft's spicks to the left and right of the canopy ready to attack.

500 meters

He noticed that monster's eyes begin to glow as it's right arm lifted to face him.

400 meters

Now the hand itself began to glow.

300 meters

No, it's not plowing, it's firing at him!

200 meters

Seeing the purple energy coming towards him, he moved his craft slightly to the left so he could avoid it while still making his run. The discharge missed but it was close enough for him to feel its heat.

100 meters

Keeping his sights on the red circle on the beast's torso, he fired the spikes, first salvo only a split second before the other. After unleashing his payload, he pulled up to avoid collision. The first salvo of a dozen spikes hit their mark, causing cracks to appear on the monster's core. The second salvo, only a split second behind the first, was deflected by some wall that had not been there a moment before.

Having obverted the events from the command center, sub-commander Fuyutsuki Kozo only said one thing. "An A.T. Field."

To which the only response he received was "Yes."

XXXXXX

"On three. Three!" The woman said to signal the two of them to begin pushing the car to try and get it back on its wheels. Landing with a loud clunk, the car somehow managed to stay in one piece after everything it had been through.

Then the bumper fell off.

'Almost' Shinji thought.

"Thanks Shinji, you're pretty useful." The woman said.

"You're welcome miss…." Shinji stopped to try and remember the name he had seen on the picture "Miss Katsuragi, but I should be thanking you."

"Misato is fine. So Ikari Shinji, we meet at last."

XXXXXX

'Great, the fate of the world is at stake and I'm now stuck here going into the pits of hell.' Haida thought to himself as the platform his craft was on descended into Nerv. Without the spikes and the N2 bomb his craft had no armaments, and with VTOLs flying around and observing the thing at a safe distance he was useless in the field.

'Will they use it, will they dare you it?'

XXXXXX

"Yes, don't worry; his safety is my top priority. Look, can you get a car train ready for us? An express of course." Shinji heard Misato say into her cellphone. Not really caring for what she had to say, he looked around the terrain in his surroundings. Noticing a large blue airplane parked in the distance, he was slightly surprised to see it disappear into the ground. Unaware of where it was heading, he herd Misato continue. "Well I did volunteer to pick him up, so it's only my duty to make sure he gets there."

Turning off her cellphone, Shinji turned around to see Misato in distress as she noticed a piece of her car fall off. Shinji, on the other hand, noticed something that begged a question.

"Uh Misato?"

"Yes?"

"Uh, those batteries" he said, pointing to a collection of a dozen batteries in the back seat "Isn't that theft?"

"Uhm… don't worry about it. It's an emergency and we needed a working car, right? I am a government official after all, so everything going to be ok? Ok."

"I don't think anyone is going to buy that excuse."

"You're no fun. You know, you're not as cute as I thought you were either."

Taking offense of the comment, Shinji simply said "Is that so?"

Smirking, Misato asked "oh, angry? I'm sowwy. Hahahaha, you're just a boy after all."

"You're not as mature as I thought you'd be either." He deadpanned. A few moments later he regretted his comment as she swerved around the road as they came to a tunnel, taking at least a few years off his life.

XXXXXX

Pulling himself out of his Evalon, the young captain was face-to-face with Dr. Akagi. Before she could say anything, he lifted his finger to signal that he needed a moment. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled with a good mouthful of LCL coming out and pouring down on the side of the Evalon. He repeated this a few more times until nothing came out when he exhaled.

"You alright Jonathan?" The doctor asked him. Straightening his back, he cleared his through before looking at her.

"I'm on duty; you'll refer to me as Captain or Captain Haida. Now how long will it take to replenish my ammunition? I want the Evalon prepped for launch ASAP."

Ritsuko sighed. She had read the young pilot's physic profile, so she should not have been surprised by what had been the first things the young man ever said to him was. But she didn't have to like it.

"I'm afraid to inform you captain that you are out of this fight. Your port wing armor is partially melted, your spike carriers are jammed in open mode, your LCL filter failed while you out there and all of your landing gears are either fused together or the rubber of the wheels are melted all together." She explained.

Head down, clearly disappointed, Jonathan sighed. With him out of the fight, all he was good for was to stand around while some unknown, untrained soldier took all the risks.

"Where is this third?" He asked. He at least wanted to see him before the guy was pushed into battle.

"He's only now entering the Geo front. I should be meeting with him soon, fell free to follow me. I can't help but feel that Misato is going to get herself lost again." The doctor told him as she started to walk away.

With nothing better to do, he chose to follow.

XXXXXX

"Nerv?" Shinji asked as the car came to a stop is some sort of car elevator.

"Uh-hue, it's a secret organization controlled by the UN." Misato explained.

"And that's where my father works?"

"Well ya, you do know what he does don't you?"

With a sigh, Shinji looked away from Misato. "All my teacher told me was that it was important to the future of mankind." He stopped for a moment as he noticed that the elevator started to move.

"Misato, are we going to see my father?"

"Of course, of course we are." She sounded happy, but that didn't make Shinji feel any better. It only brought back memories of his abandonment.

"Oh ya, did your dad send you an I.D. card?" Snapping out of his thoughts, Shinji opened his bag.

"Yes, this is it." He told her, handing her the papers his father had sent with his I.D. card attached. To Misato's surprise, with the exception of Shinji's name and service number, everything was censored. Getting her attention back on track, she took out a book titles "Welcome to Nerv" and handed it to Shinji. "Here, start reading this ok?"

"Nerv. My father's agency." He said in a quiet voice. "Am I going to be working for him?"

Misato didn't answer.

"What am I saying? He wouldn't have sent me a letter unless he needed me for something."

"Sounds like you don't get along with your dad. You sound just like me."

"Huh?" Shinji tried to think of something to say, but before he could muster a response the view suddenly changed from that of an elevator wall to that of an upside down city. "Wow, awesome."

Looking down, Shinji could see a lake and forest a few hundred meters below them. In the forest there was a pyramid of some sort which he couldn't see very well, as well as what appeared to be a few rail lines meeting up at a building not too far from it. Both looked out of place in the otherwise all-natural underground ecosystem.

"It's a real Geofront." Shinji had never seen a Geofront, but he had read of them. Not much, albeit, but he was aware of them. He had never thought he would get to see one though.

"That's right; this is our secret underground base. Nerv Central. This city is the key to rebuilding our world. A fortress for all mankind." Misato explained. She decided not to tell him about the fact that both this Geofront and Nerv as a whole where the worst kept secrets in the post-impact era, and that not only did every government know about both, but that both where common knowledge. But she was trying to impress him.

XXXXXX

"Doctor, is there a reason why eva Germany deployment soon?" Jonathan asked in broken Japanese. Ritsuko had to force herself not to laugh. She knew what he meant, but his accent was so thick it was hard to take him seriously. Not that she had a right to say so, according to the documents she was given, he knew four other languages, all of which he was better at. She, on the other hand, knew only Japanese and some programming languages. It's the reason why even if she wanted to, she couldn't work at a different Nerv branch.

"It's because we need all we can get. This isn't just some skirmish; this is the beginning of an all-out-war." As she walked down the hall, the young pilot in tow, she noticed that every tech they walked by would stop and stare at him for a moment. She knew he looked out-of-place, but still, she didn't think he looked that odd.

"And what of Evalon? 1 finished, 2-3 near done, 4-9 build start. Homeland could handle on self, UN no, Japan no, Euro no. Empire strong already, Southern Conquest and American restoration show it true. With Evalon we no need have Evangelion. No risk collateral, and…no risk Asuka." The last part he said was barely audible, but Ritsuko heard it clear. She was aware of Jonathan's time training in Germany, but this was a development she had not been aware of. She would make note of it and bring it the Commander.

"You're a soldier and I'm a scientist, neither of us should needlessly worry ourselves with international politics. Let the Commander worry about that." She said dismissively.

Stopping at an elevator, Ritsuko stopped and moved her arm in front of Jonathan to signal him to stop as well.

"What stop here?" He asked.

"Misato will be here soon, it's just a matter of time."

XXXXXX

"What on Earth? Isn't this the right way?" Misato asked herself. Putting her map down, she looked as they entered into yet another section of Geofront. This new one had a gentle breeze going through it. "It's because of these things that I hate to wear a skirt around here. I wonder where the hell Ritsuko is."

Although Shinji could hear, he wasn't paying attention as he was reading the book he had been given.

"I'm sorry; I'm not used to this place."

Without looking up, Shinji simply said "We paced this spot twice already."

"Uh, well don't worry, they make these transit things to be used you know."

XXXXXX

After finally finding an elevator, Misato felt that she was finally going in the right direction. Hearing the *ding* which indicated having reached their destination; Shinji looked up to see two people in front of them.

One of them was a woman who appeared to be Misato's age, but more sophisticated with her lab coat. He did suspect that her hair was not naturally blond though, given its rarity in Japan.

The other person, on the other hand, was quite something else. Standing half a head taller than him, the other boy was most definitely not of Japan. Short hair somewhere between light brown and dark blond, complemented by dark green eyes, this boy was definitely a Westerner. Shinji had never seen one in person, let alone been this close to one. He hoped that some of the things his teacher had said where all lies.

He was afraid either way.

"Uhhhh, hi there Ritsuko." Misato said nervously. Merely humming, Ritsuko walked forward into the elevator before it could close, the boy doing the same.

"Why am I not surprised Captain?" The woman asked Misato. "Don't you realize we are short on both time and manpower?"

"Sorry."

Looking over at Shinji, the woman continued. "So, is this the boy?"

"Huh, oh yes. According to the Marduk report, he's the Third Child." Misato explained. "And this is…" She asked, looking at Jonathan.

"I am Captain Jonathan Haida, pilot of Evalon 1. As of three hours I stationed here." Jonathan said, extending his hand to Shinji. Shinji hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and shaking it. "I'm Ikari Shinji, nice to meet you Mr. Jonathan."

Clearing her throat, Misato leaned over to Shinji and quietly told him "Shinji, Westerners use their Surname then their family name."

"Oh, sorry." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"No worries, I had problem when same came here. Though commander's clan name Gendo." Jonathan replied. No one bothered to correct him.

XXXXXX

"Battle stations, Level one. Prepare for ground level intercept." A woman's voice said over the base intercom.

"It sounds pretty serious." Ritsuko said as an elevated platform moved them towards their destination.

"If not for problem Evalon, I would be on offensive. Hurt it before, would finish it off if given chance again. Made cracks in exposed heart. Shouldn't trust untested against monster, all worst off first time in fight."

"Wait are you saying I was brought here to fight against that thing?" Shinji asked nervously.

"Why else bring here instead far possible from battle?"

Ritsuko and Misato looked nervous, but didn't say anything on the matter.

"So how's Unit 1 coming?" Misato asked, changing the subject.

"It's currently undergoing refrigeration using the B type equipment."

"Does it really work? It's never worked before has it?"

"The possibility of activation is 0.0000000001%. Around here we just call it the oh-nine system."

"Does that mean it doesn't work?" Misato was now starting to get worried about this. Well, more worried than she already was.

"Don't be insulting, it's oh-nine, as in Oni, a Japanese Devil."

"Sounds like broken Evalon more chance working current state." Jonathan interjected.

"Well" Misato said "anyway, I suppose it's a bit late to be saying 'sorry, it doesn't work'."

While Shinji was keeping his nose in his book, he didn't notice Jonathan's cold look of fear as he saw a massive metallic hand in the tank next to their platform, which he had until then thought was just a wall.

'What monstrosity have they built in this place?' He thought to himself.

XXXXXX

The door closing on them in the unlit room, Shinji would be lying if he said he wasn't a little afraid of whatever was in the room. Not that anyone would have guessed after he screamed "Hey, why is it so dark in here?"

Then there was the screech he released when the lights were turned on and he was face-to-face with a purple monster.

"It's… a face? I giant robot?" He asked, uncertain of what he was seeing. Remembering the book he had been given, he opened it to see what it was.

"You won't find it in there." Ritsuko said.

"What?"

"This is mankind's ultimate fighting machine." She explained. "The synthetic life form known as Evangelion Unit 1. Built here in secret, it is mankind's last hope."

After a long moment of silence, Shinji asked "Is this my father's work?"

"Correct." A loud voice said. Looking above the Evangelion's head, behind a large glass a lone figure could be seen. Commander Ikari Gendo. "It's been a while."

Looking up at the man, Shinji was paralyzed in fear looking at the man who had abandoned him. "F… father."

Smirking, the commander said "Where moving out."

"Moving out? But Unit 0 is still in cryo-stasis." Misato exclaimed, before gasping as realization struck her. "Wait a minute; you're going to use Unit 1?"

"There's no other way." Ritsuko stated.

"Now wait, Rei can't do it yet can she? We don't have a pilot."

Jonathan slapped his hand over his eyes. How did Misato not understand it the moment they stepped in the room?

"We just received one." Ritsuko informed her.

"You're serious." It wasn't a question, Misato finally understood.

Looking over at Shinji, Ritsuko told him "Ikari Shinji, you will pilot it."

"Huh?"

"But even Ayanami Rei took seven month's to synchronize with Unit 0. It's impossible for him to do it, he just got here." Misato clearly did not approve.

"He just has to sit in the seat. We don't expect more than that."

"But,"

"Listen, defeating that Angel is out top priority. If we have someone who has a chance of synchronizing with an Eva, then we've got to risk it. You do understand that, don't you **Captain **Katsuragi?"

"But" Misato looked over the two boys "What about Jonathan? He's already received military training, and we know he can synchronize with the Evalon."

"The systems used in the Evalon are to different, and the Marduk report didn't list him as even a possible Evangelion pilot. If anything it would be an even larger risk to try with him." Ritsuko explained. "Is that understood?"

After a few long moments, Misato replied "Yes ma'am."

"Why did," Shinji started, taking a moment to think. "Why did you send for me?"

"You know why I sent for you." Gendo answered.

"So, you're asking me to take this thing, and go out there and fight?"

"Correct."

"How can you do this to me!? I thought you didn't want me! Why? Why did you have to call me now father?" Shinji asked, tears welling up at the side of his eyes.

"Because I have a use for you."

Lowering his head, Shinji again asked "But why? Why me?"

"Because there is no one else who can." His father simply stated.

"No! I can't. I've never even seen anything like this before. There's no way I can do this."

"If you're not going to get in, then go, and stop wasting our time." After Gendo finished there was a long silence as Ritsuko, Misato, Jonathan and the tech crew watched the young boy. On the surface, an angle induced explosion destroyed several buildings, causing a shockwave that could be felt all the way down in the cage.

"It's found us." Gendo stated. Another shockwave soon followed.

"Shinji, there's no time." Ritsuko told him. Looking over at Misato, she simply told him to get in. Not a request, an order.

"But I can't, I just can't."

"Shinji, why did you come here?" Misato asked. "Don't run away from your father, and especially don't run away from yourself."

"I know, but I don't think I can do it."

"Restart and reconfigure the system for Rei." Ritsuko ordered the techs.

"Yes ma'am, restarting." A woman's voice said over the intercom.

'It's just as I though, I'm not needed.' Shinji thought to himself. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned his head to see Jonathan looking at him with a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry Shinji, if was your place I would not feel ready fight. You're not ready; other pilot should have fought from start. Not reflect on you as person, just means not ready for what they want you do." Even in broken Japanese, his words got to him. When he had first met him, the boy was the scariest person he had ever known after his father. Now not an hour later he seemed to be the only person in the world who cared for him at all.

Hearing a door open, both of them looked over to their right to see two nurses and a doctor pushing abed with someone on it towards them. As they wheeled the bed closer, they could see that the patient was a girl about their age.

"Uh" Jonathan was visibly nervous "if that backup pilot, you need go and fight. Not possible her fight in condition."

As he spoke the girl tried to get up, groaning from the pain the movement caused. At that moment a large shockwave struck again, causing several of the structures at the top of the Geofront to fall onto the base. The violent shacking caused the bed to be pushed over, and thus the girl on it as well, and several of the lights from the ceiling to fall. Charging to protect the girl, Shinji didn't notice that the right arm of the Evangelion lifted itself up and deflected the lights, causing one of them to smash itself against the window that Gendo was behind. He was smirking.

"The Eva moved. What happened? The right arm's bindings have been torn off." A tech announced over the com.

"That's impossible. The entry plug isn't even inserted, it can't move without it." Ritsuko said, looking over to Misato.

"It reacted without the interface. But, was it protecting him?" Misato thought to herself out loud. "He can do it."

Pulling themselves up, Shinji and Jonathan ran over to the girl, Shinji taking her in his arms. Jonathan moved to the bed and tried his best to make it stand up right. Looking back to the Evangelion, the eye began to glow, but Shinji's attention was drawn back to the girl as she shock more and groaned in pain. Looking down at his hand, he saw that she was bleeding onto him.

'I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away.' He thought to himself.

Looking up at, he said. "I'll do it, I'll pilot that thing."

XXXXXX

As the entry plug was placed into the Evangelion, Shinji could hear many people talking about techno babble he couldn't really understand.

"Injecting LCL into the plug." He heard a woman's voice say. Looking down, he panicked as he saw some strange orange liquid fill the plug.

"What is this?" He asked in a panic before taking a deep breath. Holding his breath as the liquid rose above his head, he heard Jonathan's voice.

"Don't worry Shinji, it safe to breathe. Just remember to deep breaths when exiting plug. Takes few moments to get all out."

Leaning closer to Ritsuko, Maya quietly asked her "Does he always talk with such a thick accent?"

"As far as I know. I only met him today after all."

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Shinji inhaled a lung full of LCL. "I feel sick."

"You can handle it. You're a man, aren't you?" Shinji heard Misato's voice say. Then more techno babble was being said over the comm. The orange appearance of the plug interior changed to a much clearer, metallic one for a few moments before the interior walls became a rainbow of color with a sort of sparkling appearance that hurt his eyes. Moments later the colors disappeared and where replaced with a view of the area around the Evangelion.

"Synchronization ration at 41.3%" Maya informed Dr. Akagi.

"Amazing."

"Harmonics normal, I see no disturbances."

Looking back at Misato, Ritsuko said "Let's do it."

"Begin launches sequence." Misato ordered.

Feeling movement around him, Shinji could see the massive walls and bridges around him move away and felt the Evangelion begin to move backwards until it reached a wall.

"Path is clear, Evangelion ready to launch." Maya informed the bridge.

"Understood." Misato stated, turning to face the commander. "Can we really do this?"

"Of course." The commander responded, his expression hidden by his gloved hands. "Unless we defeat the Angels, we have no future.

"Eva Launch." Misato yelled. The sudden force from the assenting caused Shinji to screech for a moment, before he got used to it. Reaching the surface, he could see that the monster was only a few blocks away from him. He felt fear. This thing had survived so much. But he could see it eye-to-eye, he was inside of his own monster, and he could see some of the cracks in the thing's core.

"So it begins." Jonathan said to no one in particular. Not that most of them understood, as he said it in English. "Empress help us."

XXXXXX

Author's notes: so the first chapter comes to an end. For those wondering about the Evalon, in my mind it's in the approximate shape of an Avro Arrow that's painted bright blue and with much larger proportions. Not sure about the exact size, but large enough that it would take up most of the space provided by the Eva launch catapult if it were to use it (spoilers).

As for Jonathan, the story won't revolve completely around him, but this is the story of both him and Shinji in the same way the show was the story of Shinji… in the parts that make sense.

And before anyone asks why Jonathan started having a thick accent half way through, the part where he didn't have one was from his point of view. And if anyone doesn't like it, it will disappear over time so don't worry. But if you like it, well, you'll like the next few chapters.


	2. Welcome to Tokyo-3

"You ready Shinji." Misato's voice asked over the comm. Looking at the unmoving monster, for a moment Shinji wondered what could possibly be going through its mind.

"Uhm, yeah." He said, uncertain of what to do.

"Final safety locks, release!" With those words Shinji felt the Evangelion vibrate as gravity pulled it without the launch system holding it up. "Evangelion Unit 1, move out!"

"Shinji, just concentrate on walking for now." Ritsuko's voice told him. Taking a few deep breaths, he thought to himself 'walk'. Much to his surprise, the Evangelion took a step forward. Making himself take a second step, he knew something was wrong when the Eva started to lean forward. It took only a moment, but Unit one found itself face down on the avenue it had been standing on.

"Shinji, are you ok?" Masato franticly asked. "Hurry, you have to get up!"

Looking up, Shinji could see the monster moving towards him. Grabbing Unit 1's head, Sachiel lifted it high into the air. Shinji was paralyzed, the beast had him in its hands and he had no idea how to fight back.

Using its unused hand to grad Unit 1's left arm, Sachiel began to pull with as much force as it could, attempting to rip it right off. To its surprise, this was not accomplished with the ease that his other tasks had in the hours leading up to this moment.

Unknown to it, the young pilot inside clutched his left arm as his brain told him that something was trying to pull off his arm.

"Shinji, calm down, that's not your real arm." Misato tried to get Shinji to stop panicking, without success. As Sachiel continued to pull the arm, the mechanical joints where getting dangerously close to critical.

"Where are his defense systems?" Ritsuko franticly asked Maya.

"The signal's not working." Maya replied.

Changing tactics, Sachiel squeezed the arm under his had as hard as he could. Moments later, the arm and hand went limp as the crushing force from the Angel caused the mechanical and neural connections to snap.

"Left arm damaged!"

Lifting the unmoving Unit 1 as high as it could, a long strand of energy appeared behind Sachiel's elbow. Realizing what it was, Misato shrieked "Shinji, move!"

With no time to react, the energy quickly entered Sachiel's elbow and smashed itself against Unit 1's head. And then it did so again. And again. And again.

Shinji covered his right eye with both hands, desperately trying to stop the pain.

"There's a crack in the front of the brain case." Maya informed the bridge.

"That armor won't take much more!"

Only three hits later the energy beam went clear through Unit 1's head, sending the machine flying into a building half a kilometer away. Head falling forward, red LCL gushed from the opening on both sides of its head.

"System damaged, extent unknown."

"The control nerves are braking up."

"Where not getting any readings on the pilot."

Not caring who said what, Misato called out to him. "Shinji!"

XXXXXX

Opening his eyes, Shinji found himself under an unfamiliar ceiling. Giving himself a few moments to make sure he was indeed awake, he pulled himself up and took a look around the room. Seeing that the room was completely empty save for a table next to the bed he was in, he laid himself back onto the bed.

XXXXXX

Turning off the lobby's TV, Jonathan was less than impressed.

'So two major cities have whole districts destroyed, half of UN Forces Japan is wiped out and an N2 bomb was used that could be seen from Tokyo-2 and felt by half the country, and their writing it off as an anti-UN incursion. What is their PR thinking?'

Returning his attention to the book on his lap, he continued where he had left off. The book was a Japanese language one. After seeing everyone's reaction to him talking, he refused to let his accent be too thick to even be grammatically correct. He hadn't had enough time while at Nerv Germany to learn everything.

Thinking of Nerv Germany, he stopped as his mind wandered to the two people he knew. They would be coming at some point, no matter what he wanted to tell himself.

Setting his book down on the seat next to him, unable to concentrate, he looked behind him at the row upon row of empty seats in the lobby, wondering why Misato had ordered him here.

XXXXXX

Having made his way to the hall outside the room he woke up in, Shinji looked out into the Geofront, taking in its sight.

Hearing a door open, he turned his head left to see who was heading towards him. The sight he saw was a nurse pushing a bed towards him. When the bed was next to him he could see the occupant was the injured girl he had met the day before who was supposed to pilot in his place.

She stared at him with her uncovered eye.

As she was pushed away, he felt guilt wash over him as he remembered that he was going to allow her to pilot Unit 1 in his place. He didn't know of her condition at the time, but to him that didn't matter.

"Excuse me" He someone behind him said. Turning, he saw that it was one of the nurses. "I was told to bring you to the lobby once you were up and ready. Please change into these and follow me when you're done."

Accepting the offered cloths, he noticed they were the cloths he wore the day before. Without a word, he walked back into the room to change.

XXXXXX

Having fallen asleep in the lobby, Jonathan didn't notice Shinji enter the lobby. Noticing Jonathan but uncertain what to do, Shinji chose to sit in the same row of seats as him but kept himself several seats away.

Free in his thoughts, he remembered the feeling in his arm from the night before. Examining his left arm, he saw nothing which resembled scratches or marks on it. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, it just looked normal.

But it felt so real.

He felt his arm getting pulled apart; he felt his bones getting crushed. It was all too real.

He didn't know how long he sat there, just staring at his arm, but after a while he herd Jonathan stir. Hearing a yawn followed by a crack filled stretch, Shinji looked over at the other occupant of the room as he woke himself up.

Uncertain what to do, Shinji said nothing.

"Oh Shinji, when did get here?" Jonathan asked, noticing his presents.

"Uh, just a few minutes ago. A nurse told me to come after I got dressed. Speaking of getting dressed, what are you wearing?"

Looking down at himself, Jonathan didn't know what was odd. "Could you re-phrase question?"

"I mean, what's with that suit and hat? That's not normal."

Looking back down at his white uniform, then tacking off his hat and observing it as well, Jonathan didn't understand what Shinji meant.

"I don't see what odd; this is a perfectly normal Imperial Navy uniform."

"Oh, well I guess that makes… wait, you're in the Navy?" Shinji exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, how is surprise?"

"You're what, 14? 15? And you're a Captain in a Navy? How is that normal in any way?"

"Rank not mean Captain of ship, only rank in chain of command. Plus, it common for 12 year olds to join military in homeland. Evalon pilots not normal either, we train from young to be pilots. Same story for Evangelion pilot in Germany, and probably one here to. You not being soldier make you odd one."

'Am I really the odd one here?' Shinji thought to himself. 'I guess even in a crazy place like this with giant robots and monsters I'm still not normal. Wait….' "That doesn't explain why a pilot is in the Navy."

Jonathan took a moment to think about it. "I don't really understand how works, honestly. It probably the same reason why Unit 2 pilot in Euro Air Force."

"Oh, so you've met Asuka." Both boys looked up to see Misato had entered the lobby.

"Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"She Unit 2 pilot, meet her two years ago at Nerv Germany. She very arrogant, some would say bitch, but good friend. She kind of opposite like you." Jonathan explained. "Captain Katsuragi, is there reason why I told to spend night here?"

"Both of you need to meet with the logistics commander." She explained. "It's standard procedure for new employees. It shouldn't take too long, five minutes at most. Just follow me."

XXXXXX

As the three of them waited for the elevator, Misato couldn't help but wonder what the past day had been like for the two boys. Both had been pushed into battle against the Angel, neither really knowing what it even was, one without any training to boot. Though she wanted to go out and fight the Angels herself, she'd be lying if she said she where jealous.

As the elevator door opened, they were greeted with the sight of Commander Ikari. No one said a word, nor did they move. After a long, tense moment, Shinji looked away from his father, unwilling to look at him. Several long moments later the doors closed and the elevator continued on its way.

They used the escalator instead.

XXXXXX

"They'll be living alone?" Misato asked the logistics commander.

"That's right; their rooms will be in the sixth block beyond this one. Is that alright?" The man replied.

"Yes sir." Shinji said, something akin to sadness in his tone. Jonathan simply stated "sir" in acknowledgment.

"Are you two sure about that?" Misato asked, surprised by the boy's reaction.

"Living alone is fine with me. I'm alone anyway." Shinji informed her.

"As for me, I've spent most of life in one barracks or another, this normal for me."

XXXXXX

"What did you say!?" Ritsuko yelled into the phone.

"You heard me; I said I'm taking Shinji and Jonathan to live at my place, ok? It's already been approved. And don't worry; I'm not going to be making any passes at them."

"Of course you're not, how can you even think of such a thing? You've got no shame at all." Ritsuko's voice was so loud Misato had to hold the phone away from her ear.

"Some people don't have any sense of humor." She stated as the doctor continued to berate her with complaints.

Jonathan leaned closer to Shinji. "What does 'making any passes' mean in this context?"

Shinji chose not to answer.

XXXXXX

The car ride was slightly awkward. Misato in the driver seat, Shinji in the passenger, and Jonathan in the imaginary seat that was the small space in the back that was more storage than anything else. His legs stuck out between the seats.

Reading his translation book, without looking up he stated "All laws may not universal, but this can't legal."

Giving a nervous laugh, Misato said "well in times of need you adapt to the situation. Besides, we have to have a party tonight."

Not caring for her changing the subject, Shinji asked "why is that?"

"It's a welcoming party in honor of my two new roommates of course."

"Sounds like excuse to celebrate more than reason to." Jonathan commented, not looking up from him book. "Not that I have problem with."

"Spoil sport." Misato said, facing him with here tong out. In response, Shinji let out a yell as the car almost hit an oncoming truck.

XXXXXX

"I hope you don't mind if I make a stop on the way." Misato asked the boys. Having spent the afternoon in a supermarket, Misato noticed that both boys had felt uncomfortable as the people around them stared (mostly at Jonathan) and more than a few people made comments about the damage done to the city (mostly from what Shinji did, not that they knew it).

"A stop where?" Shinji asked. Both he and Jonathan had a few bags on their laps, the small car's lack of storage space forcing them to do so.

"It's a really cool place." Misato responded.

"As long as you turn AC up I don't care where go." Jonathan said, his face slightly red.

XXXXXX

Overlooking the suburbs and core of Tokyo-3 from the side of the cliff was a sight to behold. The setting sun only added to the view. But the view was missing something. The city was much more flat then its size would imply, there was little movement to be seen, and the city just seemed so, so…

"It's so desolate." Shinji stated. "The city seems so lonely."

Misato stared at her watch. When the moment was right, she lowered her arm and looked out into the city. "Here we go."

At first there was nothing, but after a few moments a siren could be heard throughout the city. When the siren ended dozens of structures began to ascend to their skyward home, safe in the knowledge that the threat to their existence was now gone.

"Awesome." Shinji stated in disbelief. "The buildings are growing."

"Incredible." Was all Jonathan could muster.

As the movement came to a stop, the once flat city was now a sprawling metropolitan full of life.

"This city is a fortress, designed to stand against the Angels." Misato explained, neither boy really paying attention. "This is Tokyo-3. This is our city, and it's the city that you saved."

Jonathan knew that she was talking more to Shinji then to him. He had hurt the creature, the 'Angel', but he had more likely contributed to its anger then its defeat. Shinji had been the one to kill it, he had been the one who saved them all.

And yet Shinji was the one with no training or experience in Nerv Central's Unit 1.

It hurt his pride in both himself and his nation.

XXXXXX

As the trio approached one of the apartments, Misato told the two boys "your things ought to have been delivered by now. I just moved here myself you know."

Next to the door, there was a stake of three boxes on one side and two on the other. Though they didn't have their names marked on them, given the different shipping company logos on the two sets it was easy to tell which boxes where who's once one was open.

Walking into the apartment, Misato gave Shinji a traditional household greeting, to which he shyly accepted. Jonathan looked at the sight with slight confusion. Knowing that Westerners did not share the tradition, Misato simply asked him to enter.

"Well you two, welcome home." She said once, closing the door. "Um, as you can see, the place is just a little bit messy, but, haha, go ahead and make yourselves comfortable."

"This is… a 'little' messy?" Shinji asked, looking over the piles of garbage bags, unopened boxes and empty beer cans occupying at least 80% of the floor and 90% of the tables and counter top.

"Back home this would classified as biohazard unfit to human live in." Jonathan whispered to Shinji, earning him a snicker.

"Oh, sorry, could you put the food in the fridge please? Hey, you two weren't making fun of this place where you."

"No ma'am." Jonathan said far too quickly.

Opening the first freezer part of the fridge, Jonathan found that there was only ice in it. Looking over at Shinji, who opened the other one, all he found where some snacks. Taking the main part of the fridge's handle, Jonathan opened it to find it full to the brim with cans of Yebisu brand beer.

"I get the feeling there more food in bags then in whole apartment." Jonathan told Shinji.

"And there must be at least 50 litters of beer in here as well." Shinji said in response. "What kind of life does she lead?"

Looking over at the other machine, Shinji asked "Uh, excuse me, what's in the other fridge?" loud enough for Misato to hear in her room.

"Oh, don't mind that, he's probably still sleeping." She replied. Looking over at Jonathan, the word that caught both their attention was "sleeping?"

XXXXXX

"Let's eat!" Misato exclaimed before she took the can of beer in her hand and downed it in one shot. "Woo yeah, good stuff. You know, life just doesn't get any better than this."

Putting down the now empty can, Misato looked over at her two new wards who had not touched their food. "What's wrong you two, you not hungry? It's good, even if it is instant. Besides, you look like you're going to faint with a face that red Jonathan, you should eat something."

"Sorry Captain, I just not used food like this." Jonathan explained.

"What? Are you finicky?" Misato asked, standing up and leaning forward close to his face.

"No ma'am, just not used Eastern food." He replied, slight panic in his voice. Smiling, Misato looked over at Shinji and asked "Isn't this nice?"

"Huh?"

"Having three for dinner sure beats eating alone." She explained, sitting herself back down on her seat, telling herself "Here we go, next one" as she took another can of beer.

XXXXXX

"Rock, paper, scissors. Three, two, one, go." Misato said, taking rock as Shinji took scissors. "Sorry Shinji. OK, that was a fair way of splitting up the shores isn't it?"

"Misato, I don't see how you playing rock, paper, scissors with one of us and having the loser play the other is fair, gives you a 3 out of 4 chance of going the chores." Shinji said with a sigh.

"True, but who's paying for the rent and the food?" Misato countered.

"She has point," Jonathan admitted, before whispering "and it not like it good idea to let her do chores anyway."

"You say something?" Misato asked, Jonathan feeling an evil ora around her.

"Nothing Ma'am."

Smiling again, Misato said "This is your home now, so feel free to take advantage of everything here, except of me of course." She said with a wink.

While Jonathan had a look of green on his face, evidently not liking the idea that had been placed in his head, Shinji simply deadpanned "uh, yes ma'am."

With a sigh, Misato said "Yes ma'am, nothing ma'am, understood ma'am, you two need to loosen up. It's getting on my nerves; you should not be so formal. Your both 14 year old boys, act like it!" After yelling the last part, she stood up, walked behind both of them and started ruffling their short hair.

"Yes ma'am" the two said in unison.

Stopping with a sigh, Misato said "Well I guess it's just the way you are. Shinji, why don't you go take a bath while I get Jonathan some water. It'll help you wash your troubles away. Bathing cleans the mind and soul. But don't take all the warm water, Jonathan might want it after."

"That's ok ma'am, I'm not interested in baths." Jonathan said, his voice making it clear he was low on energy.

XXXXXX

Feeling uncomfortable being naked close to where multiple panties and bras where handing, Shinji slowly pulled the door to the bath open. To his surprise, there was some creature in front of him that shuck itself violently. Being the calm, rational person he was, Shinji reacted in the most logical way possible.

He ran into the kitchen naked yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Mmmmmi-mi-mi Misato!" He stuttered. This got him the attention of both Misato and Jonathan, one of whom didn't react in any way, the other, looking away not a moment too soon.

"What?" Misato asked, responding to Shinji's call.

"A ppp, a pp, a ppp." Without being able to finish his though, a penguin walked in front of him with a towel over its shoulders.

"Oh, him? He's one of those new warm-water penguins." Misato explained. Taking notice of the creature, Jonathan wordlessly fell over on his back, lying on the floor. The penguin pushed a button on the other fridge, causing the door to open. It took a moment to look over Shinji before entering, door closing behind him.

"That was a wwwha, what?"

"His name's Pen-Pen, he's our other roommate." Misato explained. Taking a fresh can of beer, she continued. "Uhm, why don't you cover up?"

Uncertain what she meant, Shinji looked down at himself and realized he was standing naked. In the kitchen. In front of Misato. Face turning red and using his hands to cover himself, he slowly inched himself back into the bathroom.

'I guess I should be nicer, but he's probably made up his mind about me.' Misato thought to herself. Looking over at Jonathan, she couldn't help but smirk. 'He's really out cold, I should get him to his bed.'

XXXXXX

He looked up and down the street, trying to find where he was. Just a moment before he had been in… no, he had been here. But where was here. Looking around, he saw that the colorful rundown buildings had Spanish markings on them.

Havana, that's right, he was in Havana. He had been sent there with the expeditionary force.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see Sgt. Magog. Why would he be here, wasn't he…? Wasn't he what? What was it about this man that he could almost remember?

Signaling him to follow, Sgt. Magog started to walk down the street. Following for a few minutes, the man signaled him to stop in front of a bright powder blue building. Several soldiers were waiting for them outside the entrance. Sgt. Magog signaled him to stay put, while signaling the soldiers to follow him in.

Doing as told, Jonathan stood in the middle of the street while observing the civilians around him, keeping an eye out for anyone who looked suspicious.

Hearing someone shout from the building his comrades had walked into, he started to run for it to see if they needed his help, but by the time he was on the sidewalk the front of the building was no more as an explosive force pushed him back.

His front warm with light burns, back in pain from the landing, he opened his eyes to see the building on fire with it starting to spread to the ones next to it. As he heard sirens in the distance, he felt weak as a sudden, sharp pain in his left arm made itself known. Turning his head, he saw a small piece of metal logged in just over his elbow.

Feeling weak, on the verge of passing out, he quietly said "uncle…. Pet…" as he felt medics lifting him onto a stretcher. Seeing the ambulance that was older than his father, he entered the darkness.

XXXXXX

Jumping up with a cold sweat, Jonathan took a look at his surroundings. He found himself in a small room. Looking around, he spotted a table, drawer for cloths and two piles of boxes that he recognized as his and Shinji's stuff.

Looking to his left, he saw an occupied bed on the opposite side of his room. Whoever was in it was shaking and covered themselves with the blanket. Lying down on the bed, he did what he could to steady his breath.

"Are, are you ok?" He heard Shinji ask meekly. Turning his head, he saw Shinji's head slowly emerge from his protective cocoon. "You've been tossing and turning for the past few minutes."

Taking a deep breath, Jonathan looked at the other boy. "I was…. Remembering. It was two years ago. Three years into my training, my commander, Sgt. Peter Magog, thought it be a good idea if I had field experience. Turned out it was a bad idea."

"I see. I'm… sorry." Shinji said in a submissive tone.

"Don't be, you didn't do anything. You weren't there."

After a few long moments of silence, Shinji chose to change the subject. "Your grammar is improving."

"What?"

"When you were talking, you didn't make as many mistakes as you did before. You're learning fast."

"Pilot's always learn fast, don't you learn things faster normal people? Other Evalon and Unit 2 pilot learn fast to." The question caught Shinji off guard. The other pilots learned quickly? He had never been a quick learner.

But then again, he was a better cook then most of the people he knew before coming to Tokyo-3. But that was because he spent so much time learning how to do so. But he also knew how to play the Cello. And he did know more western literature and music then, well, everyone he knew back at his old 'home'.

"I… I don't know. How would I be able to?"

Getting an idea, Jonathan forced himself up from his bed and walked over to what he assumed was one of his boxes. Opening it and finding that it was indeed his, he took a few moments to go through it until he pulled out one of the books he had packed. Moving back to Shinji, he handed it to him.

Accepting it, Shinji say that the title was 'English to Japanese dictionary' in both Japanese and what he assumed was English.

"Read up in free time." Jonathan said, setting himself back into bed. "If you like rest of us, shouldn't take too long."

After a long moment of silence, Shinji asked "Jonathan, are you afraid?"

Unbenounced to them, Misato was just outside the door, having overheard the whole conversation. She had intended to enter to talk to them.

She decided otherwise.

XXXXXX

Unit 1 collided with a building half a kilometer from where it was. From the hole in its head armor, red LCL drained at an alarming rate from both sides. On the bridge, tech panicked as they quickly read status reports on Unit 1's condition.

"Break the circuit now!" Ritsuko franticly ordered Maya.

"We can't! It's not accepting the signal!"

"What about Shinji?" Misato asked.

"His monitors aren't reacting." Makoto informed her. "His condition's unknown."

"Unit 1's gone completely silent!" Shigeru informed the bridge.

"Misato!" Ritsuko yelled.

"We've got no choice," Misato agreed. "Abort mission, we've got to rescue the pilot. Eject the entry plug."

"We can't, it's completely out of control." Maya told her as she turned to look at Misato.

"What did you say?"

On the side of the bridge, Jonathan watched over the even. He felt a gut feeling that he knew too well, fear.

"The Eva's reactivating!" A tech on the lower bridge informed them.

"What? That can't be." Maya said in a panic.

"My god." Misato was clearly confused by what she was seeing. Jonathan couldn't tell why, after all, wasn't it reactivating a good thing? He barley heard Ritsuko say "berserker."

'Berserker? What does that mean?'

Straightening itself out, Unit 1 unleashed a roar that was, if a word where used to describe it, unholy. Bending its knees, with one mighty leap Unit 1 propelled itself onto the Angel, landing right on it. Arms on the Angel's top, the Angel's pushing it away. With the Angel's strength winning, Unit 1 was pushed off, landing a few hundred meters away on its feet.

The Angel's victory was short lived as it found itself unbalanced, and before it could regain it Unit 1 had turned around, unleashed another roar and charged at it, making it but a few dozen meters away before the Angel could create an AT field to defend itself.

"It's an AT field!"

"No, as long as that's up he can't get near the Angel!" Misato said in dismay.

Lifting its left arm, Unit 1 did something no one thought it would. It regenerated the broken armor and connections.

'It can fix itself?' Jonathan thought in astonishment. 'What have they been keeping from us?'

Slipping its fingers into the apex of the AT field, Unit 1 slowly began to force it open.

"Unit 1 is extending its own AT field, it's neutralizing the phase space." Maya informed the bridge. After a few moments, the Angel's AT field collapsed from the strain.

In an act of desperation, the Angel unleashed its power in a greater quantity then it had during it's time in this world, trying to destroy the beast which dared to challenge it, and was succeeding. Despite its latest attack, its opponent still stood, seemingly unaffected by the latest attack.

Unit 1 grabbed both the Angel's arms in its left hand, squeezing them and then quickly twisting both, an audible snap followed by blue liquid falling from both signaling that it had broken both. Not done with its opponent, Unit 1 lifted its leg and kicked the Angel right in the core, causing the already existing cracks to become larger as it fell over.

Before it could even think of what to do next, Unit 1 charged it and landed a head-butt and tackle sending both of them and a structure in their way almost a whole kilometer from where they had been. When the dust settled, the Angel found itself caught underneath Unit 1, which began to unleash its brute strength by punching its core twice then ripping off its exposed ribs.

Taking one of the ribs in hands, Unit 1 began to stab the Angel with all the force it could muster. With each strike, the cracks became larger and more numerous, until not one part of the core was still smooth.

Knowing its fate was not unchangeable; the Angel quickly grabbed Unit 1 and covered the mechanical monster with its own body, pressing its critical core against the Evangelion's head.

"It's going to self-destruct!" Misato gasped.

And in a moment it was all over, all the energy the Angel had unleashed in a single burst. And like that, Sachiel was no more.

It took a few tense moments for the light to return to levels where seeing was possible, each heartbeat feeling as if it where hours as the bridge held its breath.

And there it was, still standing, still moving, walking to how-knows-where, Evangelion Unit 1 still stood. The sight sent a mix of joy and fear through the techs. Joy that it won, fear due to why.

"That must be…" Ritsuko started, trailing off.

"The Eva's true form." Misato finished.

Unseen by all, Commander Ikari had a smile across his face.

"Circuits, reconnected."

"System restored, graphs back to normal."

"Pilot life signs confirmed."

"Getting the pilot back is our first priority."

"Send down the recovery unit."

Shinji didn't pay attention to the words people were saying. The only paid attention to the sound Unit 1's head armor made as it hit the ground. Moving his eyes to the reflective glass of the building he stood next to, he saw the sight of the exposed head of Unit 1. And he saw its biological eye heal itself, taking the place of the armor's eye. Looking into the eye, it looked right back.

And all he could do was scream.

On the bridge, a tech requested a janitor to clean the mess the young foreigner had made on the floor.

XXXXXX

Taking a few long moments to think of his answer, Jonathan replied "more so than I have ever before."


	3. A New Dawn

Lights coming on, Shinji could see the inside of the entry plug. In his new body tight plug suit, not dissimilar to that of Rei or Jonathan, but with different color. Taking a look around, he could see cityscape in all directions with some mountains in the distance.

"Good morning Shinji, how's it going?" Ritsuko asked over the comm.

'Apart from an early morning wakeup call not four hours after I fell asleep the night after fighting against a monster with my own mechanical monster, and feeling as though my arm had been broken…' "No problems." He replied. "I think I'm getting used to it."

"That's good. Have you memorized the location of all the Eva's emergence locations, emergency power junctions, armament equipment buildings and recovery zones?"

He did, he had spent an hour reading through the manual he had been provided and knew every stop like the back of his hands. "I guess so."

"Well let's review it now. Normally the Eva runs off electricity provided by an umbilical cable. In emergencies it can switch to a built in battery with an active life of one minute at full power and no more than five minutes in the minimal activity gain mode." Ritsuko explained.

'Five minutes? Is this thing mechanical or biological?'

"This is due to our current limit in battery capacity technology. Do you understand?"

'She hasn't told me anything that wasn't in the manual she gave me herself. Has she expected me to already have forgotten?' "Yes." He replied dismissively.

"Now let's continue from where we left off yesterday. Initiate induction mode." With that, the timer started a five minute countdown indicating how long the Unit would have power for. Lifting the rifle in the Eva's hands up in a preparatory stance, Shinji locked his eyes on the hologram of the third Angel.

"Position the target in the center." Ritsuko ordered. As opposed to where, Shinji did not know, but didn't say anything as he aimed and locked the rifle onto the Angel. "Now squeeze the trigger switch on."

Doing as tolled, Shinji unleashed a two second burst of fire which arched over the Angel.

"Take it easy, position the target in the **center.**" The doctor repeated.

"Pull the switch." He quietly mumbled to himself, unloading a two second burst across the Angel's body, causing it to fall over and promptly explode.

"Next." He was ordered as a new hologram took the place of the old. Repeating the motion, the new Angel meets the fate of its predecessor. To make things more difficult, Maya placed each new Angel at a new location and different distance from Unit 1. It didn't change the fact that their lifespan was under five seconds.

"You know, I can't help but wonder why Shinji agreed to pilot again." Maya informed Ritsuko as they observed Shinji's training.

"It seems he simply does what he's told to do. I suppose it's just his way of getting through life." Ritsuko replied. Misato didn't like that answer.

"Position target in the center, and pull the switch." Shinji said quietly as he took out another Angel hologram.

He repeated the phrase with each new Angel.

XXXXXX

"You do it." Jonathan quietly told Shinji.

"What? Me? I had to get up early yesterday for all day training." Shinji countered.

"So? I've been doing that for years. Besides, don't you Japanese have some ritual or custom to do this sort of thing?"

"No, and don't you Westerners have one of your own?"

"No, we just walk in, shake them and say 'hey ass hole, wake up.'"

Standing in front of Misato's bedroom door, the boys where at a stalemate as to who would enter and wake her up. Knowing there was no way to win using argument, Shinji raised his fist, Jonathan doing the same. Shaking them three times, Shinji chose scissors, Jonathan, rock.

With a sigh, Jonathan slowly slid the door open. "Captain, its morning. You need to wake up."

"I just got back from night duty a little while ago." She said, half asleep and with a yawn "I don't have to go to work until this evening so please let me sleep."

"Alright, I'll go." About to close the door, Jonathan stopped as Misato interrupted.

"Hey, isn't today Thursday? It's burnable trash day, take it to the garbage."

'Burnable trash day? Oh that's right, here in Japan they split their garbage between burnable and not burnable.' "Yes ma'am."

"So how is school?" This question was directed at both of them. Without thinking, the two said the same lie.

"It's fine."

XXXXXX

"What?" Misato sleepily asked as she answered the phone. She would have let the boys do it, but both where taking the garbage out to the curb. "Oh, it's you Ritsuko."

"How's it going, are you getting along with them?" The woman asked, a fresh cup of coffee in hand.

"Them? Oh, the boys. Well it's been two weeks since they started school and neither really seems to have changed. They've opened up a bit to each other but I haven't heard anything about them making friends. No one ever calls Shinji and Jonathan only seems to get routine checkups from his superiors back home."

"Calls? Checkups?"

"Since I figured Shinji would need one, I got him a cell, and Jonathan already had one. But I don't think either really ever uses them. I'm not sure but, I don't think they have any friends at that school."

"Well I don't think either is the type to make friends easily. Shinji's to quiet for his own good, and he always seems to need someone to lead him forward. Jonathan doesn't seem to outgoing either, and it doesn't help that at times he acts like a fish out of water."

"Well Ritsuko, their just going to have to learn, someday, that part of growing up is learning to interact with others.

XXXXXX

Without saying a word, the two boys look their seats in the class. As there was still some time before class started, most of the class was empty, but some students had come in to either spend time with friends, while others where finishing up last minute work they should have done the night before but had chosen not to. And on the side Rei was sitting and…. Being Rei.

When they had started coming to class, everyone took notice of them. The two new guys, both transferring right after the battle that took place, one of them a foreigner. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Initially a few had tried to great them, maybe befriend them, but Shinji didn't take any interest, and Jonathan didn't seem to understand any Japanese beyond 'hello', 'goodbye' and 'thank you'. Judging it as not worth the time and effort, the students one by one stopped trying, just as they had with Rei.

With a toy VTOL in one hand and his camera in the other, Aida Kensuke recorded himself flying it while making engine and shooting noises, only stopping as he noticed the class rep standing in front of him, clearly displeased.

"What's up class rep?" He asked her, putting the camera and toy down on his desk.

"Did you deliver the printout I gave you yesterday?"

Caught off guard, Kensuke panicked for a moment, hand reaching into his desk. "Uh, well, uh. Well uh, there wasn't anybody home over at Toji's place."

"Mr. Aida," the class rep said sternly "aren't you Suzuhara's friend? Aren't you even just a little bit worried about him?"

"You don't suppose he was injured do you?" Kensuke asked. Though neither made any move to show it, both male pilots started to listen the conversation.

"What? You mean in the robot incident?" With those words, Shinji turned his head to look at the two over his shoulder. "The television reports all said that nobody was injured."

'People actually believe that? The media had a field day when they found out that it was a monster and a giant robot that fought, but how can anyone believe no one dies, let alone got injured?' Jonathan thought to himself. Looking over at Shinji, who turned his head to him, he could see that he was as perplexed as he was. 'The class rep doesn't seem to smart.'

"No way, you say what the explosion on Mr. Toganasu was didn't you? There where fighters scrambled from as far as Komatsu, and troops all the way from Kyushu. I'll bet at least ten or twenty people were injured. And there had to be a few fatalities to." The young nerd said.

'If only we could be so lucky.' Shinji thought, remembering what the Angel had done to the tanks and VTOLs he came across.

Hearing someone open the door loudly, the two male pilots turned their heads to see student Suzuhara enter the room.

"Toji!" Kensuke exclaimed, camera in hand. The class rep merely said "Suzuhara" in acknowledging his entry.

Dropping his bag on his desk, Toji took a look around the room before asking "Where is everyone? Has our entire class disappeared or what?"

"They've all either evacuated or transferred to another school. No one wants to stay here after there was a battle inside the city." Kensuke explained, pointing to Shinji and Jonathan.

"You're probably the only one who's happy to find himself in the middle of a warzone."

"Who knows, you're probably right about that. And speaking of people disappearing, where have you been Toji? Why where you absent so long?" Kensuke asked. Turning his camera to look at Toji, he continued. "Did you get involved in the war?"

"No, but my little sister did." Toji said. It was subtle, but there was anger in his voice. "She was crushed under a pile of debris. She survived, but, she's been in the hospital ever since. Both my dad and granddad have been working at the lab so there's no way they can leave their post, so if I'm not with here, she's all alone."

Taking a moment to think, he suddenly let out his frustration. "That robot's pilot is an idiot! It makes me so angry, how could he wreck out own city? What did that idiot think he was doing?"

"Speaking of the pilot, have you heard the rumors about the transfer students?" Kensuke asked. With how the conversation was going, Jonathan started to feel nervous while Shinji felt ashamed of himself.

Not knowing who he was talking about, Toji asked "what transfer students?"

"Those guys over there." Kensuke nodded his head towards the two male pilots. "They transferred in while you were absent, right after the giant robot incident. Don't you think that's a little bit of an odd coincidence?"

At that, Jonathan started to sweat. Not that it would seem odd for him, ever since he had arrived in Japan he was sweating a lot due to the heat of the eternal summer. But this time it was not from the heat.

Before anything could happen though, the door opened to reveal the teacher entering the room.

"All rise." The class rep announced.

XXXXXX

"And so humankind was about to face its greatest trial as in the last year of the twentieth century a massive meteor from outer space slammed into Antarctica and…" While the teacher went on and on about the history of second impact, no one really paid him much attention. After all, they had been told their whole lives about the event.

As the teacher threw around a few numbers to try and make them feel impressed by the magnitude of second impact, both Shinji and Jonathan got a popup message appear on their laptop screens.

Opening the message, both received the same. A simple question: 'Are you the pilot of the giant robot? Y/N'.

Looking at the back of the class, Shinji say two girls wave at him, one of them quietly laughing. The other quickly typed something into the computer. A new line appeared asking 'Are you the one who pilots it? Y/N'.

Without hesitation, Jonathan typed 'N' and left it at that.

Shinji hesitated. If he typed 'N', things would probably stay the same. No one would have any interest in him, people would keep ignoring him and life would go on as if the question had never been asked.

But if he typed 'Y', then what would happen? Would people think of him as a hero? A villain? Would they start talking to him? He had no idea what could happen. After a few long moments, he found himself typing down 'Yes'. Not despite the fact he didn't know what would happen.

He did so because of it.

The moment we pressed enter, all but a few students turned to him, huddled around his desk and started asking him questions from all sides. As the teacher continued his lecture, unaware of the disruption in his class as he looked out the window, lost in his own world.

"Hey, everyone sit down, we're in the middle of class." Hikari yelled at the other students, to which one of the boys said "lighten up class rep."

Though Rei didn't take notice of the events transpiring around her, Jonathan chose to intervene. Standing up, he slowly made his way to the crowd.

"Hey, how did you get chose?"

"Did you have to take a test?"

"Weren't you really scared?"

"What's the cockpit look like?"

Before Shinji could answer any of the questions the girls around him asked, Jonathan spoke.

"Any and all information regarding the robot is classified to class 3 clearances, and any information is only on a need-to-know basis. As none of you have either the need or the clearance for such information, divulging it could risk three or more years of jail time for spying." Though they were disappointed, the students assembled around Shinji's desk where more surprised than anything. Jonathan's statement had not only shown that he actually did know Japanese, but he had said more in that statement then he had to all of them over the previous two weeks.

After a moment, one of the girls asked "why do you care? You're not the one piloting the robot. And you came here on the same day as Shinji, so if he pilots the robot why are you here?"

Everyone's attention now on him, Jonathan took a moment to think of his response. He could just say he works with Shinji, but then people would ask what he does, and they would think he was dogging the question. He could say he was only looking out for Shinji, but he knew that would not be a satisfactory answer. He could lie about what he did, but at some point either he, Shinji or possibly Rei would unwittingly reveal. And with his luck sooner rather than later.

"Well," he said "I pilot a plane."

Shinji had said the truth, and he wasn't lying about what he did. They didn't need to know the details.

While everyone had been talking, Kensuke had been at his desk, listening intently.

"So what can you guys tell us?" One of the male students asked.

"Uh, well everyone calls the robot Eva or Unit 1, and his plane as Evalon." Shinji said quietly. Not quite enough though, as everyone around them heard. Kensuke started typing on his laptop.

"What type of weapons does it use?" One of the girls asked.

"Now THAT is classified." Jonathan told her.

A few students asked tried to ask their own questions, but the bell rang announcing the end of the class. Stopping his lecture, the teacher only then noticed the state of his class. Though he dismissed the class, most of the students stayed around the two boys, asking them more personal questions.

XXXXXX

Taking another hit to the gut, Jonathan admitted to himself that he may have found an opponent on par with himself. As he recovered from the hit, he responded to his opponent in kind, hitting him in his face. Though a punch to the face was not typically a good idea as it usually caused more pain to the one giving it, it was the straw the broke the camel's back as Toji fell over.

Taking deep breaths, Jonathan had to force himself not to do the same. He had to make it clear who had won this fight. After a few moments he felt confident enough in his ability to remain standing to walk over to Shinji and offer him his hand. Reluctantly accepting it, Shinji lifted himself off the ground, his face still baring the mark which started the fight.

Kensuke recorded the entire event with his camera.

"So tell me Mr. Toji," Jonathan said, the aforementioned boy trying to force himself up from the ground. "Why did you hit Shinji when he did nothing to provoke you?"

"What do you mean without provoking me? That bastard sent my sister to the hospital." Toji replied. As he stood up straight, he nearly fell over as he tried to keep his balance. "That idiot could have killed her."

"Who's the real idiot" Jonathan responded "the one fighting on a battlefield or the one who didn't take his sister to a shelter when told to?"

Toji felt a new wave of anger flow through him. Who was this asshole to call him an idiot? How was he supposed to know that it wasn't just another drill? They had them once every few weeks. Shinji's the one who was piloting the Evangelion, Shinji's the one who fought the monster, and Shinji's the one who caused their apartment to be damaged and the ceiling to collapse. It wasn't his fault.

It wasn't his fault.

But with neither the energy nor the will to either fight again or even respond, Toji walked away.

"There's an emergency." Not having noticed Rei, both boys jumped slightly. "I'll report in first."

Without another word she turned and ran off. Unsure of what she meant, both boys looked at each other and then back at her as she disappeared around a corner.

A moment later a siren could be heard throughout Tokyo-3.

XXXXXX

"Well, this is different."

"_Cut the chatter Evalon, this is an open channel."_

"Yes ma'am."

Jonathan was nervous. With the Evalon 1 pressed against the launch cannon, he felt slightly dizzy. With the plane being held upright, he would have thought it looked like a rocket if it wasn't for the fact that his cockpit's seat was slightly reclined, causing the blood to start to accumulate in his upper body, most annoyingly his head.

"_Evalon confirm launch readiness."_

"Launch readiness confirmed."

"_Roger. Launching in 3, 2, 1, launch."_

With that, Jonathan felt himself being pushed back into his seat as the Evalon ascended from the cages to the surface several kilometers above. Moments later the dark walls where replaced by a blue sky.

"Launch successful."

Back in the cage, Shinji took a deep breath as the entry plug was inserted into Unit 1. As the beast slowly came to life, he wondered to himself 'why am I piloting this thing again? Even though my father's not here.' His mind went back to the fight earlier. 'Even though I was punched and caused a fight.'

XXXXXX

"Hey, I need to talk to you privately for a second." Kensuke told Toji. Deep in the shelter under the school, the two had spent the past hour with the other students, waiting for the emergency to be over.

"What for?" Toji wasn't in the mood for talking; he still hadn't fully recovered from the fight.

"Come on, please?" Reluctantly, Toji decided to go along with Kensuke.

"Hey, class rep." Toji called out, getting the girl's attention.

"Now what?" Hikari asked, clearly annoyed.

"We've both got to go to the bathroom." Toji explained.

"You were supposed to do that before coming down here. Besides, didn't you already go to clean yourself up from your little fight?"

"You know about that?" Toji asked, genuinely surprised.

"Everyone knows about that, you punched Ikari and Haida kicked your ass because of it. It took a whole five minutes for everyone in school to find out." She explained. "Now are you going or not?"

XXXXXX

"So what's this all about?" Toji asked. He wanted to know what could be so important that Kensuke would bring him to the bathroom to talk in private for.

"I've got to see it, at least once in my life." And with that Toji couldn't help but feel as if he had expected too much. Kensuke asking to talk with him privately during a battle? He really didn't know what he was expecting, but he should have known.

"You mean the battle up there between a three hundred foot robot and a giant monster?"

"Nobody knows when the enemy will come the next time."

"Kensuke, are you serious? Not knowing when the next time is probably for the better, I don't want those things around. Ever."

"But if we let this opportunity escape us, we may lose it forever. Pleasssse help me unlock the gate?"

"But you could get killed if you go out there. Is it worth it just to see the thing in action?"

"If we stay in the shelter, who's to say the risk isn't the same? You say what happened after the last battle, if this monster is anything like the last nowhere is safe. If I might be killed anyway, I'd like to at least see it first."

"You idiot, what do you think NERV's for?"

"And what is NERV's most important weapon? It's the robot that new kid pilots. He protected us the other day but you hit him pretty hard. I hate to say it but you deserved the ass kicking you got."

"I would have won if I got the first shot in."

"But you didn't, you used that first shot on Shinji instead. And think about it, if he refuses to fight, where all going to die. Doesn't that make it your obligation to watch him fight?"

"Kay, you're not leaving me any options. You'll do just about anything to get what you want, won't you?"

Laughing, Kensuke replied "Well, you've known me for year, do you even have to ask?"

XXXXXX

"_Shinji, are you ready?" _He heard Misato ask.

"Yeah." He said, clearly disappointed.

"_First, neutralize the enemy's AT field, and then fire a volley. Do it just like we practiced. The Evalon will provide support. Think you can handle that?" _Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah."

"_Launch Eva!"_ With Misato's order, Unit 1 began its rapid ascent to the surface.

XXXXXX

Having found their way to an exit a fair distance from the school's shelter in the grand network of tunnels and passageways underneath Tokyo-3's surface, Kensuke and Toji found themselves on a hill outside of the urban sprawl and instead on a tree-filled mountain close to a temple.

Running alone the path that connected to tunnel's exit and the temple, Kensuke pulled out his camera as he spotted the monster slowly flying inside the city, slowly floating between the skyscrapers.

High above them, the Evalon flew around the city, observing the Angel as it slowly raised itself to its full height.

Seeing its true form, Jonathan couldn't help but think out loud "that thing looks like a…"

"_Don't say it." _Maya interrupted him

"But it looks like…"

"_We know what it looks like, don't say it."_

"Alright. But I'm sure thinking it though."

Back on the ground, Toji and Kensuke watched the Angel in awe.

"Cool" Kensuke said as he recorded the Angel. "All my efforts really paid off. I've been waiting for this moment all my life."

"Kensuke, didn't we only need to break one lock to get here? Not that much effort if you ask me."

"Shut up, something's happening."

Inside one of the armament building near the city's center, Unit 1 reached the surface.

"Position target, pull the trigger." Shinji quietly said to himself. He repeated so as Ritsuko spoke to him.

"_AT field has been unfolded."_

"_Do it just like we planned, ok Shinji?"_ Misato said, to which he responded "Ok."

Assault rifle in hand, Shinji turned Unit 1 around and faced the 4th Angel, immediately unleashing the power of the weapon. For a moment it seemed to be going as planned, but after a few moments of continuous fire the dust in the air became too thick to see the Angel at all through and there was no sign of it being killed.

Realizing the blunder he had made, Misato wasn't pleased. _"Idiot, you hit the enemy with your own smoke."_

Only a moment later the massive assault rifle went silent, its precious ammunition depleted. Taking deep breaths, Shinji tried to see if there was any movement in the smoke. He didn't have to wait long as two glowing whips appeared from the smock and quickly tried to strike him, missing him due to a quick dodge but cutting both the rifle and the armament building in half.

"I can't believe it" Toji commented, "He's losing already."

"It's not a problem" Kensuke reassured him, not taking his sight or that or the camera away from the action.

"_I'm sending you a spare rifle." _Misato informed Shinji. _"Take it. Shinji! Shinji!"_

Shaking with fear, Shinji was unable to move. It hadn't worked. It had always worked in the simulator. Never more than a few moments were needed. They would just pop-up, he targets them and then before he had time to think they were already down. No need to reload, no need for the Evalon to back him up, no need to worry. No need to think.

No need to be afraid.

Noticing Unit 1 wasn't moving; Kensuke commented "Jeez, you punching him must have really gotten to him."

"Oh shut up!" Was the yell he got in response.

"_Shinji" _He heardJonathan's voice say. _"You need to get up now and grab the rifle or the Angel will strike you again."_

From his vantage point a few hundred meters above the ground, he didn't like what he was seeing. Not one bit. At this rate Unit 1 wouldn't last much longer.

Although he heard the words, it was easy for Jonathan to say. He couldn't see the Angel looking down on Unit 1, the cold look in its "eyes" as it slowly moved closer. Shinji couldn't force himself to move, no matter how he may try.

When one of the whips quickly moved towards him, his brain went on auto-pilot as he forced Unit 1 to dodge it. A dodge he failed as he was sent flying through several buildings before coming to a stop five blocks from where he had been. To the dismay of the bridge, one of the buildings in his path had been the remains of the armament building he had been launched of, this second assault on it causing the umbilical cable to snap.

The five minute countdown began.

Bringing himself back to his feet, he hand not made Unit 1 stand up straight before its left leg was caught by one of the whips. With no time to react the Eva was lifted and thrown several kilometers away, landing close to a temple.

Seeing his time to act, Jonathan dove the Evalon to be at eye-level with the Angel's core, doing what he could to distract it, if nothing else.

As he was only a hundred meters from it, he unleashed the dozen spikes that where on the left wing. Not expecting much, he pulled up so he wouldn't collide with it. As he came about, he saw that though there had been no visible effect on it, the Angel had changed its attention away from Unit 1 and towards the Evalon, moving it' two whips in an attempt to hit it. Doing his best to dodge the whips, Jonathan did what he could to lure the Angel in the opposite direction from where Shinji was.

"_Shinji, are you alright? Shinji?" _Misato franticly asked. Lifting his head, the first thing Shinji noticed what that between the fingers of his Evangelion the boy who had punched him and his friend where hunched over, bracing themselves for an impact which never came.

"_What the hell are those two doing there?"_ Ritsuko asked as the MAGI pulled up their ID's.

"_Activation time three minutes twenty-eight seconds"_ Maya informed the bridge.

"_Shinji, let them into the cockpit." _Misato ordered.

"What?"

"_Evalon 1 is distracting the Angel. Get them and once you've got them make a temporary retreat. We'll start again later"_

"_What makes you think that unauthorized civilians can be allowed into the entry plug?" _Ritsuko demanded.

"_I'm authorizing it." _Misato informed her.

"_You're exceeding your authority __**Captain**__."_

"_Unit 1's remaining activation time three minutes." _Maya stated.

"_Shinji, hold Eva on 'current commands' and eject the entry plug. Hurry up and do it."_

"Yes ma'am."

Seeing the entry plug eject, for a moment Toji and Kensuke where at a loss as to what they should do.

"_You two, get it!" _Misato ordered. _"Now!"_

XXXXXX

"My camera!" Had they been in any other situation, Toji would have laughed at his friend's lose, but given that they had just entered a dark, wet place that smelled of blood, he had other things on his mind.

"_Sync ratio falling fast!"_ Makoto said.

"_Of course it is, we've let two foreign bodies into the entry plug." _Ritsuko replied matter-of-factly.

"_Shinji, retreat. Utilize recovery root 34."_ Misato ordered him.

Looking into the distance at the Angel, he could see that it was still trying to swat the Evalon out of the sky, constantly being provoked as Jonathan would dive towards it, shot it with a split second of conventional rounds, pass it by and turn around to repeat the whole proses. Having no apparent problems with the distraction, Shinji told himself that Jonathan could handle it while he retreated temporarily.

Finding the opening in the side of the mountain, he quickly plugs the new umbilical cord to allow the Unit's batteries to charge as it was quickly lowered into the base. As the Eva reached the Cages moments later, he heard Jonathan over the comm.

"_I'm out of ammo. I only got a dozen spikes left, which should keep him occupied for two or three minutes but nothing more."_

As the Eva was slowly docked, the moments felt as though they each lasted for long minutes. Finally completing the docking sequence, the entry plug ejected and techs immediately opened the doorway.

"Alright you two get out." One of the techs yelled as another put his arm in to pull them out. One they had been pulled out and Unit 1 began to once again go through the launch procedure, on the surface Jonathan prepared to use his last spike against the Angel.

Diving in from the sky, after firing the last spike, he noticed that it hit the core, and though it didn't do much, it did leave a small mark on it.

"_Haida, NERV, I'm out of ammo, but the last run got through it's AT field. It's getting weaker. Requesting full assault with anything that the city has." _He informed the bridge as he flew away from the main city towards the airbase on the other side of the northern mountain.

As Unit 1 still was not finished the launch proses, Misato accepted the request. Throughout the city the silent gun towers rose and unleashed payloads at the Angel. In the thirty seconds it took for Unit 1 to finish the launch proses, several thousand rounds had hit the Angel, straining the AT field, though for damaging the Angel it was all for not as it strained it but it didn't collapse.

"_Alright Shinji, let's try this again just like we practiced. Ready?" _Misato asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"_Unit 1, launch!"_

Rising back to the damaged city, Shinji couldn't help but feel stressed. This was his last chance; he had no backup for this one. As he reached the surface, the surviving gun towers fell silent and returned to their underground homes.

Taking a death breath, Shinji took the backup assault rifle and took his time. It may have been only three seconds, but his aim was on the mark. Unleashing the ammo clip, this time releasing the smoke on himself instead of the Angel, his aim stayed true and he hit the core with most of his shots… only for the Angel to remain standing.

No, that couldn't be. After two attacks, an air assault and so much more, and it still lived. Feeling a new wave of fear go through him, he started to tell himself 'I mustn't run away' faster and faster, becoming louder each time.

"_The progressive knife's been engaged."_ Shigeru informed the bridge.

Taking the knife in hand, Shinji knew what he had to do. He only had one chance at this; there was no other weapon up NERVs sleeves.

"_Shinji no! It's too dangerous!"_ Misato told him, but he couldn't hear her.

Without a word, he charged. Trying to defend itself, the Angel struck each leg with its whips to try and slow it down. Ignoring the pain, Shinji continued his charge until he reached the Angel and came face-to-face with its core. Which he promptly stabbed as hard as he could. As the knife dug into core, Shinji forced both hands to push with everything he had, yelling at the top of his lungs as he did so.

As the moments went on, the Angel pulled out its whips from Unit 1's legs and struck the head. Shinji felt the surge of pain from the blow, but he didn't let it phase him, as the cracks around the knife grew larger and larger, and then, a moment later, the ordeal which for him had lasted not ten minutes but felt as though a lifetime, came to an end as the target went silent. Thankfully without an explosion like its predecessor.

And as the adrenalin died down, the emotional high ended and the emotional and physical pain came rushing back, Shinji broke down.

XXXXXX

The rain was fitting to the mood. That's how Jonathan felt about it. It had been three days since the battle and things for the most part had returned to a state of normalcy. For him and Rei it had been the first day back to school, as standard protocol is for them to be on full standby for two days after an attack.

But he noticed that Toji seemed oddly down. Though he didn't care until it concerned him.

"Hey Yankee, where has Shinji been?" the jock asked. Turning his head, Jonathan looked at the jock with a look that said all it needed to. But knowing him, he would need to say his point to make it clear.

"You call me a Yankee one more time and you will be losing one of your legs." He say Kensuke shiver, even though he was speaking to Toji. Good. "As for him not coming, today is the first day he could have come, but he chose not to out of his own volition. If you want his cell number I can give it to you."

"Don't bother," Kensuke interrupted. "I have it written right here."

Taking out a folded piece of paper, he held it out and offered it to Toji.

Who promptly accepted it.


	4. Fire in the Sky

"It's seven Misato, wakey wakey, wakey wakey." Jonathan said as he lightly shock Misato's sleeping form.

"Muh, five more minutes." She moaned, pulling her blanket over her head.

"You asked me that an hour ago, your waking up now or I'm getting out the whistle."

Lowering the blanket from over here head, Misato frowned at him. "Fine, but for the love of god don't use that god dame whistle."

With a victorious smile, Jonathan left her room and made his way to the kitchen.

"So Shinji," he said, taking a seat at the table. "Are you planning on going to school today? It's been five days now."

Taking his eyes off the pan, Shinji looked at the other boy with an uncertain look on his face.

"I… don't know. I don't think anyone wants me there anyway." He turned his attention back to the eggs he was making.

"You and I both know that's not true. Besides, those two idiots you saved seem to be curious about where you are. You may as well talk to them, lord knows I'm tired to it." Jonathan told him, a joking tone in his voice as he ended.

Before Shinji could think of a response, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it, keep an eye on those eggs."

Opening the door, Jonathan was surprised to find Toji and Kensuke standing before him. "Speaking of idiots…" He said loud enough for Shinji to hear.

"Who you calling an idiot?" Toji yelled back. "And what are you doing here? We came to find Shinji." At that moment, a half-asleep Misato walked out of the bathroom, in full view of the boys at the door. "And who is she?"

"Good morning to you to." Jonathan said with sarcasm. "Get in before one of the neighbors starts asking questions again."

Sitting down at the table, Jonathan took out a chair from the closet as every other seat either was or was going to be occupied.

"Did we come at a bad time?" Kensuke asked as he took a seat. As he spoke the half-asleep Misato opened the fridge and pulled out a beer.

"No, we were about to eat anyway, and Shinji always makes too much." Jonathan informed him.

"That's all fun and good, but you still haven't told us who **she **is." Toji said, pointing at the woman as she downed a beer.

"That is director of operations Cpt. Misato Katsuragi. Misato, these are the idiots Shinji saved the other day." Finishing her beer, the now fully awake Misato looked the boys over.

"Morning boys." She said as she took the seat across from them. "So what are your names, or am I to assume your both named idiot?"

"I-I'm Kensuke Aida, and this is Toji Suzuhara." The boy said, pointing at himself, then Toji.

Coming to the table, Shinji placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of everyone.

"If you don't mind my asking," Kensuke continued. "Why are Shinji and Jonathan here?"

"Oh, I've been their legal guardian for the past month. It was either that or they'd be living in an underground barracks." She explained.

"And when we first got here it felt like that would have been a better place." Jonathan remarked, earning a laugh from Shinji.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Misato deadpanned, glaring at him.

"N-nothing." Jonathan responded, distracting himself by eating. "These eggs are missing something; I'll be back in a sec."

Getting up, Jonathan walked to the room that he and Shinji shared.

"I don't see what he's complaining about, these eggs are great." Kensuke stated. "You really make this yourself Shinji?"

"Shinji's a real cook. If it wasn't for him I'd be eating instant ramen." Misato said, patting Shinji on the back. Shinji's face turned red from embracement. "Women love a man who can cook."

The two boys looked at him with slight anger, jealousy clear on the faces.

Jonathan returning, he placed a bottle onto the table and took his seat.

"What is that?" Toji asked, not recognizing the Latin markings on the bottle meant.

"It's maple syrup, its common back in the Empire and in America. For some reason though it's so expensive here that it was cheaper to buy it online and have it shipped." He explained, pouring some of the liquid onto his eggs.

"Is it any good?" Kensuke asked.

"Try for yourself." Jonathan passed the bottle over.

"You kids better hurry up, you'll need to leave in ten minutes if you don't want to be late for class."

XXXXXX

"Raise, bow, sit." Hikari stated as the teacher entered the class. As everyone took a seat, the teacher began his lecture. After a few minutes of paying moderate attention to the teacher, Shinji received a pop-up message on his computer.

'_Why does the teacher only seems to talk about second impact?'_ a message from 'HighInTheSky'.

'_He does seem to talk about it a lot.'_ Shinji agreed. His screen name was 'MonsterMan'.

'_Wait, one of the idiots wants to join, should we?' _–HighInTheSky.

'_Why not, they are your friends.' _–MonsterMan.

'"_Your"? They seem to be much more found of you then of me.' _–HighInTheSky.

'_HighIntheSky' added 'SoldierBoy' and 'FireFlash' to the chat._

'_I don't know which is a worst screen name.'_ –HighIntheSky.

'_Like your one to talk.' _–FireFlash.

'_At least mine makes sense. Kensuke isn't a soldier, and you, I have no idea what to make of that.' _–HighInTheSky.

'_And just how does your make sense?' _–SoldierBoy.

'_I'm an Evalon pilot. You know, that blue thing you see in the sky above every now and again?' _–HighInTheSky.

'_Guys, is this really something worth arguing about?' _–MonsterMan.

'_At least it's better than listening to this "teacher" yap on about second impact. Wait, what is he saying about my homeland?' _–HighInTheSky.

Taking his attention off his computer, Jonathan looked back at the teacher who put up a map of North America on the board.

"Before second impact North America was dominated by three states with dozens of smaller ones existing in the southern area and islands in the Caribbean. Today, the continent exists as a loose alliance dominated by the empire and the American Federation, both of which control about half the territory and industry of the alliance." The teacher explained. "Mister Jonathan."

The teacher looked at the boy, as did most of the class. "What can you say about the relationship between the two countries?"

Caught by surprise by the question, Jonathan took a moment to think. "It… The Empire is the sword and the Federation is the shield. Federation strong and Empire forever." He said, remembering the phrase from his elementary school years.

"Now, moving on to Europe…"

As the teacher took down the map of North America and replaced it with one of Europe, the four boys turned their attention back to their messages.

'_What was all that about?' _–FireFlash.

'_How would I know? I don't know what the teacher is thinking.' _–HighInTheSky.

'_Not what I meant, I was talking about the whole "Federation strong, Empire Forever, what was that all about?' _–FireFlash.

'_It's an old phrase from home.' _–HighInTheSky.

'_Changing the subject, you guys up for a movie tonight? That new Kaiju movie seems good.' _–SoldierBoy.

'_Sounds better than what I had planned.' _–FireFlash.

'_I'm ok with it if everyone else is, I guess.' _–MonsterMan.

'_Is it after eight? Because if not I can't, leaving at lunch for a test flight of the new module.' _–HighInTheSky.

'_Movie starts at nine.' _ -SoldierBoy.

'_Then I should make it. Also, here's a more fitting name for you.' _–HighInTheSky.

With that, Jonathan passed Kensuke a piece of paper. Hearing a light chuckle in response to him reading it.

'_SoldierBoy' changed his name to 'TheGuyWithTheGlasses'._

After sharing a light laugh, the boys spend the rest of the class discussing whatever came to mind, Hikari telling them to pay attention more than a few times.

XXXXXX

"_Alright Jonathan," _Ritsuko's voice said. _"Radar shows you at 6000, confirm."_

"Confirmed, I am at 6000 meters." He was deep in the clouds which had been raining over Tokyo-3 for days.

"_Alright, the new module should reactivate the system in case of shutdown, so what we want you to do is manually shut down the engines and see if the system works as it did in the simulator. If everything goes as planned it should restart within a few moments, if not then you will have more than enough time for a manual restart." _She explained.

"At what point should I restart it manually?"

"_5000 meters. The government has requested that we keep you above 3000 unless it's an emergency or your landing."_

"Understood. Beginning test."

"_Roger."_

Fiddling with the controls, Jonathan forcibly shut down the engines. Hearing their noise go silent, he immediately noticed the nose start to dip as the artificial horizon line went higher and higher, until he felt the weightlessness of free fall.

As the Evalon started to spin in its fall, Jonathan noticed that he was losing altitude fast.

"Something's wrong."

By this point he had already fallen half a kilometer, the backup system not activating.

"_Evalon 1, active manually, test has failed, repeat test has failed."_ Maya's voice said over the comm.

By this point, the Evalon had fallen a whole kilometer. Manually restarting it, Jonathan herd the engines start to roar to life.

And then Evalon shock violently. As the plane stabilized, Jonathan shacks his head as he to clear him head.

"Evalon, run self-diagnostic and display results."

A small hologram opened inform of his head, showing major damage inside the Evalon.

"Mayday. Evalon, NERV, my landing gear is shot, latitude control is damaged, engines are only operating at 18% power and I'm leaking fuel. Requesting priority landing."

"_Roger, we've informed the airport to clear its runway and get its emergency vehicles on standby."_ Maya's voice informed him, alarms able to be heard in the background.

As the Evalon began to lose altitude, it exited the clouds into the rain, once again able to see the mountains and ground below him.

2500 meters height.

Falling almost as fast as he was moving towards the airport, he could see the landing strip's lights in the darkness. In just under two minutes he would be landing hard.

2000 meters.

A vibration lightly rocked the Evalon. Looking at the left wing, Jonathan could see smoke coming out of the engine.

"Evalon, NERV, my engine's starting to burn up, if that fire gets to hot the coolant storage might catch fire."

"_Jonathan, just keep calm and try and keep the plane on its current approach. Don't worry about what could happen." _Ritsuko told him.

1000 meters.

As he looked at the wing once more, he saw that it was now on fire. Looking back ahead, he prepared himself for the landing.

500 meters.

As he had feared, the coolant ignited from the fire, causing the entire left wing to begin to burn inside and out.

100 meters.

Here he was, the first of the guiding lights where behind him and the wet runway right ahead. As the left engine dies, the right one began to be strained as it was forced to work alone in its already damaged state.

On the bridge, Maya winced as the Evalon violently hit the airstrip, bounced once a few meters high and then crashing down again, sparks flying as the metal underbody burned from friction.

Inside the cockpit, Jonathan forced the remaining engine into full reverse and tried to extend all the flaps, half of which did not respond. As the fire inside the left wing continued to burn, parts of the flams started to spread into the fuselage. While the plane was indeed slowing down, Jonathan feared he was going too fast for the two kilometer long runway to be enough for him to stop.

Those fears where ignored as he noticed the cockpit start to get warmer, a few bubbles starting to appear in the LCL.

'Oh shit.'

As the plane finally came to a stop, Jonathan quickly got up and tried to push open the hatch. It didn't move. Sitting himself down, he tried to kick it open. As the amount of bubbles in the LCL increase with the temperature, he repeated the action again and again, stopping only to move himself to use both feet to kick it. Feeling the hatch start to loosen, he gave it one last kick that caused the hatch to open.

Franticly pulling himself out, he acted on instinct as he lifted himself onto the burning plane and then slid down onto the ground, landing on his arms and legs. Painful, but he knew nothing was broken. Forcing himself up, he started to run away from the machine, stumbling a few times and finally falling over as the fire found the main fuel tank. Pieces of metal where pelted against his right arm and leg. Most where only small pieces that didn't do anything, but two thumb-sized pieces found their way into his right leg.

As the initial sound from the explosion died down, Jonathan looked up at the burning plane to see that half a dozen fire trucks around the machine, releasing massive amounts of foam onto the fire to try and kill it.

Feeling someone turn him onto his back, he started to lose his vision as two people lifted him onto a stretcher. Numb, he looked down at himself to discover that there where many tears in his suit, his arms and legs visibly burn and his right leg bleeding.

As he was entered into the ambulance, he was sedated to that he wouldn't be hit by a shock from the pain we would have otherwise felt when the adrenalin high wore off.

XXXXXX

"Hello?" Shinji asked into his cell. He was surprised someone was calling since he was with Toji and Kensuke at the arcade close to school, and with Jonathan's test flight, he didn't know who could be calling.

'_Shinji,' _Misato's voice said. '_Jonathan won't be able to join you boys for the movie.'_

"What? What happened?" Shinji asked, clearly worried. His tone caused Kensuke and Toji to lose their concentration on their game and turn it towards Shinji.

'_The test failed and the Evalon crash landed. He's stable but in the ER right now. He got burned pretty badly.'_

"Where is he?"

'_He's at the Geofront Medical Ward. I know what you're thinking, and don't bother. You won't be allowed to see him until at least tomorrow. So don't go running off, ok?'_

"Yes ma'am." He replied, dejected.

'_Alright, I'll be working late tonight, so you're on your own. Take care.'_

"Alright, bye." Hanging up, he saw the questioning look the two boys where giving him. Feeling they had a right to know, he told them what he had just been informed.

XXXXXX

He was on a train. What train?

Taking a look around, Jonathan recognized the train as the Trans-Siberian he had taken on his trek from NERV Germany to Japan. Why was he on his way to Japan though? He had been training to use the Evalon and suddenly he got a transfer order. Why Japan of all places? It didn't have the adequate training facilities Germany, French Algeria or the Empire had.

So why where he and the Evalon being moved?

"You didn't have to do." A girl's voice said. Looking up to his left, he saw the form of Asuka Langley Soryu looking down at him. "You left without so much as a 'goodbye'."

"But that's how you always are, isn't it?" This time it came from his right. Looking over, he saw Shinji sitting a few seats away from him.

"It's better this way. Better not to say it." He replied.

"You don't like saying it. Why?" Looking ahead, he saw Rei sitting across from him.

"Because saying it means it might be the last time he does." Misato was standing next to Shinji as she said that.

"I just don't want it to be the last thing people remember me saying." He admitted.

Rei smiled slightly. "No, you don't want it to be the last thing you remember saying to them."

XXXXXX

Opening his eyes, Jonathan awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking around, he saw nothing of interest, but found he didn't have the energy to move his head more than a few inches in height. Resting his head, he closed his eyes.

Though it felt like just a moment, when he opened them again he could hear someone. Lifting his head up, he saw Shinji reading the English-Japanese book he had given him a few weeks earlier.

Deciding to test him, he asked in English "How bad is it?"

Lifting his eyes off the book, Shinji thought about what he said. Thinking about why he would ask in such a way, it took him a moment to understand.

"Well," he started, accent heavy from not having practiced. "You have first and second degree burns all over your body, and your right leg needed snitches. The nurse said you'll need bandages for a week and a cane for about a month."

Chuckling, Jonathan rested his head back on the pillow. "Well, I've survived worst."

Taking a moment to think things over in his head, he returned to using Japanese. "Your English is pretty good. You sure you never took classes before I gave you that book?"

"What? No, before you gave me this book I didn't know a word of it. And besides, in the time I've known you your accent has almost disappeared."

"True, but I have spent the last month in a unilingual Japan, not exactly somewhere where you'll find someone speaking anything else."

Over the next few hours, the two spoke about nothing in particular, until Shinji was informed that he had to leave.

XXXXXX

"Misato," Ritsuko said as she saw the woman enter her office. "What brings you here?"

"What did you find on the Evalon, and when will it be back in operation?"

"It will take about a week to fix, but right now Unit 0 has top priority. As for what caused this whole thing…" She handed Misato a file. Opening it, Misato's eyebrows turned into a V shape.

"Ritsuko, I can't understand half this technobabble."

"It means nothing went wrong at all. All systems, including the new module, where working perfectly."

"So what you're saying is…" Misato started, before Ritsuko cut her off.

"Sabotage."


	5. Rei I

Notes: Well, thanks for the review, especially WaivernRiver. To answer your question about possible other pilots, for the Evangelions it's as we know it, but for other things, well, that would be telling. As for Jonathan's plug suit, since everyone's but Shinji's are the same color as their Eva, its blue. Since the Evalon 1 is blue.

As for the rock-paper-scissors match where Jonathan won but still lost, I'm just going to sweep that one under the rug by pretending that it's a 'winner does the deed' type contest they had.

XXXXXX

"Ikari," the 3rd monolith stated "the scenario is not going as initially planned. Explain yourself."

"There where unforeseen developments. We didn't expect the 4th angel to attack so soon after the 3rd." Gendo said, face hidden behind his hands as usual.

"That is to be expected, the angels are unpredictable in their actions." The 7th stated. "However, imperial medaling is our primary concern at the moment. We have yet to capture one of their spies, so we know not how many there are."

"Though I agree with the need for subverting them," Gendo interrupted. "I must say I am disappointed with the carelessness with which you are doing it. It's an open secret that the Evalon was sabotaged. I disapprove the use of such crude and obvious tactics."

"Ikari," the 1st stated "none of our agents did such an act. As with you, we to disapprove of such open actions. The risk of exposure is far too great."

"If I may ask" Fuyutsuki spoke up. "If it was neither your agents nor our own who sabotaged the Evalon, then who did. And more importantly, why would they want the imperials out of the way."

"Ikari" the 5th stated. "Control your subordinate. He knows well that he is to speak only if spoken to."

"He does bring up a good point though." The 2nd stated. "We must find out who committed the act, lest we risk them doing so again."

"The imperials have always been a thorn at our side" the 1st stated. "However they were containable. If there is another actor behind the scenes just as us, we must find them and dispose of them."

With that, the monoliths disappeared one by one, until only the 1st remained.

"Ikari, do not let that imperial get in the way." With that, the final monolith disappeared.

"This could mean trouble." The sub-commander stated.

"It could also be an opportunity." Gendo said in response.

"How so?"

"If we can play SEELE and this new organization off each other, it could make out scenario less difficult to play out. Provided we tread carefully."

XXXXXX

"So this is what they look like up close." Shinji said in awe. "Really puts things in perspective."

"I'll say, looks so much larger up close." Jonathan agreed. The two boys had been dragged by Misato to the recovery unit that had been dispatched to dispose of the remains of the 5th Angel. Noticing him looking in all directions, Shinji asked Jonathan "what are you doing?"

"Looking out for Miss Ibuki. She always seems to know the worst time possible to show up." He explained. Feeling that she was indeed not in the general area, he sighed. "Anyway, from up close this thing really does look like a giant…"

"Don't you dare say it!" Maya's voice boomed. Looking up, the two boys say the woman looking down at them from a platform, a stern look on her face.

"Hey, you wouldn't yell at a guy with a cane, would you?" He said, waving his right arm with said cane in hand.

"I wouldn't have to if said boy acted properly."

"With all due respect ma'am, it's fairly tame compared to what you'll hear in the barracks." Jonathan countered.

"Well this isn't the barracks; this is a NERV temporary outpost and you will act like it."

"Prude." Jonathan shot back, trying to get a reaction.

"What did you call me?" Hearing her yell, he allowed himself to have a small victorious smile on his face.

"Enough you two." Ritsuko interrupted as she leaned on the platform's guardrail. "As for you two down there, thanks for leaving the sample intact, everything but the core is in perfect condition."

"Thanks but, we weren't really trying to do that, ma'am." Shinji told her. "But, is there a reason why we're here?"

XXXXXX

The computer screen showed "601".

"What's that mean?" Misato asked.

"It means 'cannot be analyzed'." Ritsuko informed her.

"So you don't know what it is."

"Well…" Ritsuko went on to say something regarding what the Angels are made of, but the boys would be lying if they said they understood a word of it.

Noticing Jonathan seemed off balance, Shinji inched himself closer and leaned closer to him.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jonathan replied. "Just been feeling tired since the constant rain stopped. Heat's been getting to me."

"And look at this." Ritsuko said, regaining the attention of the boys. "Although composed of a different form of matter, their actual composition in terms of the arrangement and coordinates of the pattern is a 99.89% match to ours."

Looking closer at the screen, neither of the boys really understood what the diagrams meant, only that the two images next to each other looked alike. While Jonathan continued to try and understand what he was looking at, Shinji's attention was dawn to two people who walked by the door. Moving to the doorway, he saw the Commander and Sub-Commander standing in front of a piece of the Angel's core that was being lowered. He was about to go back into the room, but he was drawn back when he say his father's hands.

He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his father's hands without his gloves, but he was curious as to how he got his palms durned.

"What's wrong?" Misato asked, causing Shinji to jump. Looking back at the three by the computer, he said. "Well, uh, nothing."

"Shinji, are you aware that when you say 'nothing' in that tone of voice you may as well be shouting for us to pay attention to you?" Misato told him, pointing her finger in his direction. "Nothing drawn attention like evasive actions."

"Well, it's." He started, unsure of himself. "It's just that, my father seems to have burned his hands."

"Burned them?" Jonathan asked. "I thought he wore those gloves for the appearance."

"Well, I was just wondering how it happened." Shinji finished.

"I'm not sure, do you know?" Misato turned, asking Ritsuko.

"It was before you joined us." Ritsuko explained. "Unit 0 went berserk during the activation trials. You've been briefed on that."

Shinji only nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"It was bad. The pilot was trapped inside the Eva." Ritsuko continued.

"You mean Ayanami Rei? She was the pilot right?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, and it was Commander Ikari who rescued her. He opened the overheated hatch with his bare hands."

"Bullshit!" Shinji said angrily. Caught off guard by the outburst, no one said anything for a few moments. "My father did that?"

"Yes he really did, that's how he burned his hands." Ritsuko answered.

"Well, my opinion on his just fell lower." Jonathan informed them.

"Oh, and why is that?" Ritsuko asked him.

"Simple, before I only thought he was incapable of caring for someone. Now that I know he can, it makes him just that much worst of a person."

XXXXXX

"Wow, they've all got such incredible breasts." One of the boys said, causing Jonathan's hand to smack his forehead.

As gym was gender segregated, the boys where playing basketball while the girls where using the pool, which, though elevated higher than the basketball court, allowed the boys to see the girls who were not in the pool in their swimsuits.

"You're not supposed to say it you idiot, just think it. Don't you know women always know when you're saying something like that?" Jonathan said, not that he cared for the person whose name he hadn't bothered to learn.

Not paying attention to what anyone was saying, Shinji focused on Rei, who was leaning against the pool's fence.

"Hey, big shot" Toji told Shinji, getting his attention. "Who you starring at so intently?"

"Intently? Gee Toji, you sure you want to through around big words like that?" Jonathan told him, earning a snicker from Kensuke. "Besides, we all know he's ogling Rei."

"I am not." Shinji shot back.

"Oh come on. We saw you looking." Kensuke taunted.

"It's nothing like that." Shinji responded, lifting his hands in defense.

"Then just what where you looking at?" Kensuke asked.

"You can't fool us Shinji." Toji added.

"Well that's actually really easy, but you're right about this. You should see how he tries to sneak a peek in the showers." Jonathan said with a smirk.

"What?!" The two boys exclaimed, looking at a now red-faced Shinji. "How could you not tell us?"

"He's lying." Shinji shot back. "He doesn't even train on the same schedule as us, even if I did do that he wouldn't know."

"Ah, but I have eyes and ears everywhere Shinji."

"Enough." Kensuke told them. "If that's not why you were looking at here, then what is?"

"Well… I was just wondering, why is she always alone?"

"Well she hasn't made any friends since she got here in 7th grade." Toji said, looking up to watch the girl. "She just doesn't interact with people."

"She doesn't seem to want people to either." Kensuke added. "People just gave up on her. She's just the 'mysterious Rei' now."

As the gym teacher blow his whistle, all the boys got up and began to do laps on the track that went around the court. While the other boys ran up ahead, Jonathan merely sat on the bench as his leg prevented him from running.

"Shinji" Kensuke said as the three ran together. "You're an Eva pilot and Jonathan works with you guys, so you two ought to know her better than any of us."

Slowing to a stop, Shinji said to himself "I suppose, but we don't talk."

XXXXXX

While Shinji and Rei where doing their sync tests, Jonathan found he had nothing to do. Usually he would just sit back and read a book, but with his right leg in less than cooperative condition, he found himself feeling the urge to walk more than ever.

With a clearance that effectively allowed him to move freely throughout the Geofront and a good 90% of the base, he made a decision on where to go surprisingly fast. Not that anyone would be surprised with where he wanted to go.

The Evalon hanger.

Taking him about half an hour, as he used none of the elevators or the rapid moving floors to be found across the base.

As he entered the Evalon's "cage", he felt greatly saddened when he saw his plane in three pieces, the fuselage and the wings being held up close to each other by chains but clearly not connected, with techs working in the space between.

As he stood there for a few minutes, simply taking in the view of his visibly burn partially disassembled plane, some of the techs took notice of his presents. But none tried to get his attention, as it was an unspoken rule that pilots where not to be addressed by techs unless either spoken to or it was needed.

"God dame son of a bitch." A woman said.

Grabbing his attention, Jonathan walked closer to the Evalon. As he walked, most of the Tech momentarily stopped their work as he moved towards them, only returning to their work after seeing the scowl on his face.

Carefully lifting himself up on the cockpit ladder, he looked into the open hatch to see…

"Lt. Ibuki?"

Hearing her name, the young woman looked up from the exposed wiring she had been working on.

"Cpt. Haida. I, I didn't see you there. You didn't…" She trailed off.

With a smirk, he replied "every word. I had no idea the prude of NERV-1 could swear like a juvenile."

Moving himself into the LCL-less cockpit, the hatch started to fall.

"Haida, don't…" Maya said, before the hatch closed shut. "It's locked from the outside."

"Why the hell is it locked from the outside? How the hell is it locked from the outside?" He demanded.

"I, I, how would I…?" Maya stuttered, on the verge of tears.

"Oh great, your crying? How did you not only get into NERV, but end up as the assistant of the head of Project E?" He asked in a condescending tone.

"It, it, I…"

"What? Speak up!"

"It's because I'm a conscript." She yelled at him. Taken aback, he didn't say anything for a moment.

"You're a…"

"Yes." She snapped at him.

"I thought Japan didn't do that anymore."

"It doesn't, but with UN authority, NERV has the right to do so with anyone. So when Mrs. Akagi saw my work in high school I…"

"High school? Aren't you 24? That would have been years ago. You don't seem like someone who's been hardened by time in the service." He interrupted, genuinely surprised.

"I've only been working here for 5 months. Since you have the clearance I can tell you this." Looking at the closed hatch, then back at him, she leaned closer and whispered. "I'm only 19; my file has been changed due to regulations relating to my position."

Taking that in for a moment, Jonathan thought out loud "wait, in an organization that uses 14 year olds to pilot giant robots and planes of war to fight monsters, there are regulations relating to age of people in certain positions?"

"You are part of a special part of NERV. Just like any large organization, NERV has subdivisions everywhere, and all of them have a lot of red-tape. The Evalon and Evangelion pilots are classified as 'special case personnel'." Maya explained.

Hearing someone working with the hatch, Maya looked at Jonathan. "I assume I can trust you to keep this secret."

"Of course Mrs. Ibuki."

Hearing the hatch open, Maya told him "it's 'Ma'am' or 'Lt.' to you."

"Actually" he said, starting to lift himself out of the cockpit. "Given how the rank system works out, I'm your superior, so no 'Ma'am'."

Caught off guard, Maya didn't say anything as she starred at the disappearing form of Jonathan.

XXXXXX

As one of the Tech talked on the intercom about some stats about the sync test, Shinji couldn't help but focus on his female comrade. While she was working on something on her entry plug, he watched as his father approached her, got her attention, and she promptly stopped and stood in front of him.

Much to Shinji's surprise, he saw Rei do something he never thought she could, she lifted her hand to under her chin like a normal person would during conversation and, whatever she was saying, she was doing it with a smile.

His father, instead of being in his normal demeanor, replied with a face of joyful content, which caused Rei to seem even happier then she already was.

Though he didn't know what they said, he knew it didn't matter to him or could possibly change how he felt.

Furious.

XXXXXX

"What is this stuff?" Ritsuko asked in dismay.

"It's curry." Misato replied.

"Yes, 'curry'." Jonathan replied with finger quotes around the word.

"And you're still eating this junk? Even with two children under your protection?" Ritsuko asked, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Look, you're a guest. You've got no right to complain." Misato answered, earning her a scowl.

"Misato, you want any?" Shinji asked, having filled everyone else's plates.

"Oh, sorry about that." Misato took the bowl that was on a cup of instant noodles and then lifted the cup up. "Slop some of that stuff on top of this stuff."

"You can't be serious." Shinji told her.

"'You'll never need to hunt' they said, 'it's a waste of time to learn' they said." Jonathan grumbled to himself.

Not hearing him, Misato told Shinji "go on, it's yummy to the max. Ordinary flavored Raman can't taste this good. Come on, let's eat." As she spoke, Shinji complied, much to the disgust of himself, Ritsuko and Jonathan.

"Dig in guys" Misato told them. "The trick is to put less water in so it turns into a slug."

Looking at the abomination enter Misato's mouth, the group took a bit from their curry, only to regret their decision the moment they closed their mouths.

"Misato cooked, right?" Ritsuko asked, knowing the answer.

"You can tell?" Misato replied with her mouth full.

"Oh course." 'Who else could make instant soup taste so awful?' "Next time you invite me over make sure it's one of the boy's turn to cook."

Unseen by those at the table, Pen-pen looked at his bowl with slight fear. Slowly lowering himself to eat, he took a small nibble to try it out, and promptly stood petrified and fell over on his side, momentarily earning the attention of the boys at the table.

"Shinji, Jonathan, you two should really consider moving out." Ritsuko informed them. "You shouldn't let one bad roommate ruin your whole lives for you."

"But I'm used to it now." Shinji replied.

"I can't be bothered to at this point." Jonathan added.

"Their right Ritsuko" Misato said, clearly drunk by her tone of voice. "Never underestimate the ability of the human animal to adapt to its environment, right? And anyway… uh, Shinji, can I have another?" She asked, her thought interrupted by the realization that her can was empty.

As Shinji left to get her a drink, she continued. "He's going to have to go through an awful lot of trouble and red tape. He just got his permanent security card you know."

"And what about me? You're not worried about all the red tape I have to go through?" Jonathan asked.

"Your used to it, the problem is that Shinji's been used to a sheltered, civilian life till now. You're not, you're used to it." Misato explained.

"Oh," Ritsuko said suddenly. "I almost forgot again. Boys, I need a favor." Looking through her bag, Ritsuko took a few moments to find something and hand it to Jonathan.

"What is it?" Shinji asked, placing down a beer for Misato.

"This is Rei's new security card. I keep forgetting to give this to her. Would you mind delivering this to her before she goes into headquarters?" Ritsuko asked.

"Sure." Jonathan answered, accepting the card. Taking a look at the card, Jonathan stopped after a few moments to see Misato and Ritsuko looking at him with a smile on their faces as Misato said "what's the matter; your staring at Rei's photo aren't you?"

"I'm not." He insisted.

"Oh yes you where Jonathan." Misato countered.

"I was not." He said with more force behind his words. Misato's response was to giggle. "I think a embraced him. Now you've got an excuse to go over to Rei's place don't you?"

At the end of his wit, Jonathan groaned, but didn't respond.

XXXXXX

"You sure this is the place?" Jonathan asked.

Looking at the address on the card, Shinji nodded his head.

"This can't be right, we're in the middle of a bunch of rundown, mostly abandoned soviet style apartments that aren't fit for normal people to live in, let alone an Eva pilot." Jonathan said. "And look at that mailbox, it's overflowing. This is wrong on every level. I wouldn't be surprised if the doorbell didn't work."

As he said those words, Shinji found out that, indeed, the doorbell was out of order. With a sigh, Jonathan knocked on the door. After a few moments without a response, he knocked again louder, adding "Pilot Rei Ayanami, front and center!"

After several more moments without a response, Shinji turned the doorknob to discover that it was unlocked.

Taking a reluctant step in, Shinji called out "Rei, are you here? It's Shinji and Jonathan."

As the two entered the apartment, both where appalled at the mess they saw.

"This place is worst the Misato's when we moved in. Back home this place would be declared unfit for human habitation and bulldozed to build a new, clean apartment complex." Jonathan said as they slowly walked deeper into the apartment.

Taking a look around the bedroom, the boys where disgusted by the sight of blood on the pillow, a box full of bloody bandages, a plastic bag full of seemingly empty pill bottles, and something on the wall that one would hope was only mold. The sight made it easy to ignore the cloths scattered over the room.

Noticing a pair of glasses on a desk, Shinji was about to take a step into the room before he felt Jonathan's hand on his shoulder. Looking up at the boy's face, Shinji knew not to take the step inside.

Hearing something slid, both boys looked behind them to the sight of Rei completely naked bare a towel over her shoulders that conveniently hid her breasts. Knowing what was to come, Jonathan quickly turned his entire body away, keeping his back to the girl, Shinji mimicking the action. Preparing themselves for a verbal and probably physical onslaught, both where surprised when none came.

Without saying a word, Rei merely walked between the two into her room. To stunned by the odd action to move, neither could muster enough sense to turn away as she allowed the towel to drop to the floor and began to dress herself.

With her morning rituals complete and herself fully dressed, she walked up to the two boys and asked them the last thing they thought she would. "What?" No sense of anger, no embracement. Only mild annoyance.

Extending his hand, Jonathan held Rei's new I.D. card.

"Y-y-y-your old one expired." He explained, stuttering as he forced himself to say coherent words. "Y-y-y-you'll need this one now."

Just as all her actions before, she acted wordlessly as she took the card and then walked between the two boys, leaving the apartment.

Taking a moment to think, Shinji said "we can't tell anyone about this."

"Are you kidding me?" Jonathan asked quietly, and then loudly continued. "We need to tell everyone! This is wrong, this is abhorrent, and this is repugnant. We can't allow tis to continue. Tell no one? We have to tell everyone!" By the end he was shouting. Then, both realized something, stating it at the same time.

"We have to go after Rei."

XXXXXX

Following her at what they consider a safe distance, neither boy really knew what to do next. After catching up with her on the street, they simply followed her as she made her way to NERV, never giving them so much as a glance. For all they knew, she may not have even known they were there.

As the three of them entered the base, neither boy had thought of something to say. As they took the escalator, Jonathan decided to break the ice.

"You ever notice that the up stairs go faster than the down ones?"

Having no reaction from Rei, Shinji tried a more traditional approach.

"I'm sorry."

"About what?" Rei asked.

"About what? About what?" Jonathan asked, speaking louder the second time. "The two off us arrived at your apartment unannounced, enter without your permission, look around your house and see you naked all to give you a card which we could have easily waited outside to give you, we did all that and you're asking why Shinji apologized? What has that bastard of a commander done to you to even ask such a question?"

This caused Rei to have a reaction, which Jonathan was glad for. What he wasn't glad for was that said reaction was her turning around, moving up to his face and slapping him harder than he could remember being slapped.

'What the hell is going on in this place?' He thought before the three stayed in silence the remainder of the long trip into NERV, the boys out of confusion, Rei because she was Rei.

XXXXXX

As Unit 0 began its activation test, Shinji and Jonathan felt conflicted. Misato was right next to them, and they needed to tell her everything that happened. Yet Unit 0's reactivation was just something they couldn't muster the force to miss.

As Unit 0 reached the borderline and activated without incident, everyone let out the collective breath they had been holding in.

"Misato," Jonathan told the older woman. "When the test is over, we need to talk. Pilots to Operations Director. Just the four of us."

"Alright." Misato said. She seemed dismissive, clearly not understanding the tone Jonathan had tried to use.

At that moment, the alarms went off.

XXXXXX

As both where out of action for the battle, Rei and Jonathan stood on the fringes of the bridge, merely observing the action around them.

"It's odd" Jonathan stated. "First there was a more typical ideal of a giant monster, then there was a male reproductive organ with whips, and now it's an Octahedron that will give off an eerily angelic noise at seemingly random intervals. At this rate I cannot even begin to imagine how odd the next one will be, let alone the last one."

As he did not get a response of any kind from the girl, who merely looked off in the general direction of the main screen, Jonathan tried something else to get her to react.

"We should have children, to preserve out genes in case either of us is killed in combat." He knew that if he was going to provoke a response, he needed to be blunt.

"Very well." She replied. Apparently his blunt thinking was either much duller then he was hoping, or Rei was nothing close to what he expected. Either way he was petrified by her response. "Oh course, as my most opportune moment on conception shall be in two weeks, we will have to wait."

Jonathan did not say anything, because if there ever was a time he truly did not know how to react, this was that time. He cataloged away a mental note to demand that Imperial Intelligence double the number of spies in the base if it was over 200, triple if over 100, and quadruple or bring it up to 200, which ever calm last. He would also need a list, because knowing who only one was wasn't going to work well in the long run. Hopefully they were start enough to realize that he was a spy, as it was a secret so open even Shinji could tell by his uniform.

'Why am I thinking of all of all of this now?' He thought to himself. 'A battle is about to start.'

Mentally slapping himself, he looked up at the massive screen.

XXXXXX

'Alright, just launch, grab the gun, neutralize its A.T. field and shot it. Just like the simulations. And just like last time, only this time do it right the first time.' Shinji ordered himself in his mind. Thinking about exactly what to do over and over again, he was slightly startled when he heard a Tech ask him to confirm he was ready.

"Uh, yeah, ready."

"Evangelion, launch!" Misato ordered, followed momentarily by the mechanical monster that was Unit 1 to begin its rapid accent.

"Detecting high energy reading reaction inside the target!" Makoto urgently informed the bridge.

"What did you say?!" Misato quickly asked.

"The energy is accelerating and amassing upon itself!" He continued.

"It can't be!" Ritsuko yelled. On the surface, Unit 1 was now fully exposed.

"Look out, jump!" Misato yelled into the comm. Shinji had no idea what was happening, his mind still slightly foggy from the G forces he had just been subjected to. Before he could react to anything around him, a beam of energy from the Angel traveled through several buildings and hit Unit 1 right below the chest, digging deep into the armor and synthetic flesh.

Inside the entry plug, Shinji screamed as the LCL around him boiled.


	6. Rei II

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Shinji's screams echoed though the bridge, but where drowned out by the alarms and the techs on the lower areas reporting readings.

"Get him back, recall him now!" Misato yelled, ignoring the readouts.

Inside Unit One, Shinji felt himself starting to free fall as the Eva was dropped back into the depths from which it came. He would have been pleased had the LCL not continued to boil for several moments after he had left the surface.

"The target has gone silent." Shigeru informed them.

"What's Shinji's status?" Misato asked Makoto, leaning over him to see his computer data.

"He's alive."

"I'm going to the cage. Ritsuko, take over." Misato ordered as she took the bridge's lift down. As she descended she could hear Ritsuko giving orders for manipulation of the life support system to get Shinji's heart back into a regular rhythm. As the Eva came into view, she could see that the Entry Plug had been forcibly ejected and was being drained of LCL.

Coming onto the catwalk, she could only watch as a mechanical arm lifted Shinji's seat from the Plug, unconscious and blood covering the bottom half of his face originating from his nose.

"Shinji!"

XXXXXX

On the surface, the Angel came to a stop at a major intersection. Pausing for just a moment, it began to drill into the intersection beneath it.

XXXXXX

**Rei II**

XXXXXX

While the bridge was assessing the capabilities of the Angel with the use of decoys and experimental weapons deemed expendable, and the techs in the cage where scrambling to get Unit One fixed, two pilots waited in the med ward for word the condition of their comrade.

Of the two, who sat side-by-side, the female one stared at a pair of broken glasses she was holding in her hands. Uncertain as to what to say or do, the male one did nothing.

After several long minutes of contemplation, the male finally spoke up. "Rei, what is it that makes those glasses so special?"

Taking her eyes off the glasses to look at him, Rei waited a few moments to respond. "He was going to dispose of them, so I requested them."

He didn't need to be told who 'he' was. "Why do you idolize the man? What has he done to deserve it?"

"I was under the impression that you had been briefed on the incident with Unit Zero's test." She replied, Jonathan unable interpret her expression.

"So he has common decency to help someone in need without the common sense to wear gloves. Again I ask what is worth idolizing?" He lifted himself off his seat before he continues. "He treats you like you're his perfect princess of a daughter while on duty and lets you live in a rundown ghetto while he treats his real son like he's a worthless, spineless pussy. And to top it all off there is no reason for his position to exist. Have you seen the command structure for this base?"

He paused for a moment while Rei nodded her head.

"Well then answer this, why do we have a commander and sub-commander? Everyone except you, me and Shinji is either under Misato or Dr. Akagi's command. The only think he or the sub-commander do is say 'yes' or 'no' to their ideas and for us to listen to them while we are on duty. I mean what could those two possibly be doing all day when they're not looking down on everyone from their seats up high?" As he stopped to catch his breath, Rei wondered if she should tell him.

Tell him about what they did down below. To explain why they seemed to be only a formality that wasn't required. But she knew the risks if she did, both to him and herself.

So she merely asked "why are you so angry?"

He had been facing away from him, but he turned on his heals so fast she wondered if it had caused pain. "Angry? Angry?! I've been here for two months, and the only action I've seen is two battles where I was nothing but a nuisance or a distraction to the enemy. Now I'm out of action because a piece of equipment made me to crash, and I still haven't gotten rid of the dammed Guatro!" When he stopped he was yelling. Coupled with his height and the fact he was standing over her, Rei was quit fearful of him in that moment.

Not that he could tell with her demeanor.

"And what" she asked "are the Guatro?"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Jonathan sat himself back next to Rei.

"The Guatro" he began in a low tone "are the name we gave to those in the Caribbean and Latin America who fight against our empire or the Americans depending on whose soldiers are where. I only encountered them once, but it caused me to be recalled for my own safety."

He didn't go into the details, and was glad that she didn't ask.

Unseen by the duo, Ritsuko, who had been planning on seeing the two while she had a few minutes between redundant tests and their results that she wasn't needed for, contemplated what they had talked about.

Taking a puff from her cigarette, she sighed. '_This could be a problem, but it could make this much more easily.'_

As she was about to return to her lab, she paused as she herd Jonathan's voice singing a quiet tune. Taking a second to listen to it, she was unable to identify it.

"What song is that, I do not recognize it." Rei asked when he was finished.

"Just an old patriotic song from home." He replied, laying back and closing his eyes. "Just an old patriotic song."

XXXXXX

"Ritsuko, what's the lab determined?" Misato asked as the other entered the bridge.

"Only the distance it engages enemies in and how powerful it's AT field is." She explained. "Maya's overseeing the repairs to Unit One, it should be done in three hours."

"And the Evalon? I thought you had put her in charge of its repairs."

"She was, but this is a more urgent matter that requires our immediate attention." Ritsuko explained. "Do we have a battle plan?"

"I've just passed a plan through with the commander; this is the basic outline for it." Misato handed Ritsuko a copy of the battle plan.

"What, you can't serious. Our proton rifle can't even output nearly enough energy. What did the MAGI say?" Ritsuko asked.

"They gave seven point eight percent chance of success." Misato replied.

"What? And what exactly did you use for the calculations?" Ritsuko asked skeptically.

"Well, I'll admit I told them to use the JSSDF's experimental positron cannon instead of our proton rifle, but I have an acquisition form for it right here."

"And how are we going to transport it here from their lab?" At this question, Misato gave a smile that made Ritsuko regret her question.

XXXXXX

"_Why don't you my heart with song? _

_And let me sing forever more" _

Having returned to the medical ward with Misato, Ritsuko again stopped out of site of the pilot duo.

"_Because you are all I long for _

_All I worship and I adore"_

It couldn't be, could it? Ritsuko tried to understand exactly what she was hearing.

"_In other words, please be true_

_In other words, I love you._

_In other words, I love you."_

"Rei" The two adult's herd Jonathan say "that was amazing."

"How so?" Rei asked, unsure how to react.

"What do you mean 'how so'? You could be a singer with that voice you have. I don't think Sinatra could sing it better than that." He explained.

"I was merely imitating how I had heard it sung." She explained.

"Imitation or not, it was amazing." He stopped himself from continuing when he saw Misato's head pocking out from behind a corner. Noticing he was looking at her, Misato made no attempt to hide. Instead, she walked up to the two, Ritsuko following.

"Rei, I'm afraid we need you for a delivery."

"Yes ma'am."

XXXXXX

"Rei, this is insane." Jonathan stated as the two observed the work around them from the cage's catwalk. Rei, who had just finished transporting the parts of the positron cannon, was confused by his complaint.

"How do you mean?"

"Using an experimental weapon that isn't even built, let alone tested, using all the power of Japan to fire a single shot at the angel, and the only thing that can be used on the defensive is a shield made from a space shuttle that can only last seventeen seconds. What part of that is sane?"

"It is an act of desperation." She replied. "Miss Katsuragi has assured me that it is the best possible means of defeating the angel, even if it is unorthodox."

"I just wish they would finish fixing my Evalon." He complained, leaning forward on the catwalk's rail.

"I don't see why, it has not proven effective against angels thus far." Rei stated, earning a glare from Jonathan.

"After the Evangelion's, it's by far the most effective weapon there is against them." He countered.

"That isn't saying much given the effectiveness of all other weapons we have thus far tested." Rei replied. This caused Jonathan's shoulders to slump and he could not think of a hole in her logic or argument. Her statement was completely logical, as all she made when they were not concerning the commander.

"You know, sometimes the right thing to say is not to say anything at all."

XXXXXX

Opening his eyes, Shinji found himself in an odd room he had never been in with a breathing apparatus on his face. "Where am I?"

XXXXXX

_What are the many thinking? _Ramiel contemplated. _It is not like the many to stand idle in such times, even in futility._

_Do not underestimate them. _Matarael warned him. _They have already defeated two of our kin and continue to hold mother and father._

_You need not remind me. _Ramiel replied. _I already wish for their voices again. How dare they take what is ours and then take out lives? I'm glad there are many because that means there are more for me to eliminate._

_Calm yourself. _Tabris had always been the voice or reason in their family. _We must not condemn them all, for they know not what they've done._

_Regardless. _Ramiel stated. _I shall obtain what is rightfully ours and the many shall not stop me, try as they may. I am the perfect form for bringing them the taste of defeat._

Tabris sighed but did not respond. Ramiel had always been one of the more arrogant members of the family, and there was no arguing with arrogance.

XXXXXX

Shinji was uncertain how long had passed since he had been moved into the hospital room, having fallen asleep several times. His latest slumber was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Looking at the person who entered, he was partly surprised to see it was Rei.

"Ayanami."

"Pilot Ikari" she stated in response. "I've been sent here to brief you on the operation Yoshima time table." She paused for a moment to take out a small notebook from her pocket. "The operation will begin at midnight 000 hours. Prior to that, pilots Ikari and Ayanami shall arrive at the cage by 1730. At 1800 Unit Zero and Unit One will activate. At 1805 both units will be deployed. They will arrive at the temporary base at Mt. Futago at 1830. There, they will await further orders."

Putting the notebook back in her pocket, Rei bent down and picked up an object from the bottom of the trolley she had brought in. "Here, take this."

Looking down at his chest, he saw that the object she had tossed him a new plug suit. "It's to replace your burned one."

Making himself sit upright on the bed, he looked down at the new suit.

"Don't show up like that pilot Ikari." Rei stated without any hint of emotion behind her words. Unsure as to what she meant for a moment, he looked down at himself and realized he was naked and the blanket he was wearing was covering far too little.

Panicking, he yelled as he pulled the blanket up to his neck. "Sorry." He said.

He took a moment to think before continuing. "I've been apologizing since yesterday." Looking at the tray on the trolley Rei had brought, he was slightly surprised to see that there full meal, basic though it be.

"Your meal" she stated.

"I don't feel like eating anything." Shinji told her. He was slightly hungry, but he had no appetite to speak of.

"We will be departing in sixty minutes." She informed him. "Having not eaten since before your prior engagement, as well as the soonest possible time you will have the opportunity to do so, it would be advisable to eat regardless of whether or not you want to."

"But do I have to pilot Eva again?" He asked, ignoring her advice.

"Yes, you do." She stated in what he felt was a far too matter-of-fact way.

"I don't want to" he cried. "You can be so cool about it because you haven't had the experience of going into battle against one of those things. I don't want to go through it again."

"Then you can just stay here in bed." Rei told him. This caused Shinji to look up at her with shock. "What do you mean by that?"

"I will pilot Eva Unit One and will request Captain Haida attempt to pilot Unit Zero." She explained. "Dr. Akagi has already prepared to rewrite the personal data files for the Units."

"Ritsuko is?" He asked calmly.

"Captain Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi will be waiting for me in the cage." She said before turning around and began to walk to the door.

"Hey" Shinji told her, but he could not think of anything to add.

"Goodbye." She stated before the door closed.

Next to the door, Jonathan sighed. "You shouldn't lie to him like that."

"How do you mean?" She asked as she looked at him.

"I know for a fact I'm not capable of reaching the absolute barrier, and I'm fairly curtain you know that to. And even if I could activate Unit Zero we don't know if Unit One will activate for you. And even if it could you and I fighting is much less effective then you and Shinji would be." He explained.

"We need him for this operation." She said to justify her lie.

"You mean we need someone who can activate Unit One and can follow the MAGI's instructions. He just happens to be the only one we have who can."

"Is that not what I said?" She turned her head slightly, clearly confused.

"There are many ways to interpret what you said. Words matter after all." He said as he straightened his back. "I'll see you during the op; I have an informal uniform and black barrette to find."

As he walked down the hall, Rei didn't know how to react. It would have been worst had she known Shinji had overheard what the two had said.

XXXXXX

"They're really late, we should evacuate to a shelter." Toji said to the group of six boys who had gathered on the top of the school. He was uneasy about being out after what happened to his sister in the first battle and himself in the second.

"No way" Kensuke told him. "I hacked into my dad's data files. I'm absolutely sure this is the time it specified." He said, unwittingly perpetuating the view that he was a living stereotype amongst his friends.

"Ok then, where the hell are they?" Toji wasn't known for his patience.

Not a moment after he asked an alarm sounded and in the mountainside to their left they could see a massive door open.

"There they are, just like I told you." Kensuke said with pride. The group looked on with awe as Unit One appeared, followed by Unit Zero.

Though deep down they knew it was futile, they all cheered them on.

XXXXXX

"The angel has penetrated the seventeenth layer of armor. It will breech the final layer in three hours." Makoto stated over the temporary base's intercom. When he finished other techs began to list off locations which were properly or improperly connected to the system.

"That's a very delicate piece of machinery, handle it carefully." Ritsuko told a crane crew as they gently placed the experimental cannon into place.

"This thing wasn't built for field operations. Will it really work?" Shinji asked.

"Point taken, but we have no choice. This was the only way for this to be done in time." Ritsuko explained.

"A trial by fire, always fun." Maya added jokingly. Jonathan, who was standing next to them, could not help but agree.

"Are you sure it's safe to use?" Shinji asked, slight fear evident.

"Theoretically yes, but it's untested so we can only find out the hard way." Ritsuko's response didn't inspire confidence. "The worst that could happen is, theoretically, its internal components melt."

"Moving along," Misato interrupted. "This is the battle plan. Shinji, your Unit One will be gunner. Rei, you will cover him with Unit Zero. Jonathan will be on standby. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" the three said in unison.

"The reason for this arrangement is that Shinji has a higher synch ration coupled with the unfortunate reality of the state of our equipment. Given the extremely high degree of precision needed, we will need whoever has greater control over their Evas to take point." Ritsuko explained. "Because of the distance involved and the effect of gravity of the earth, the beam will not fire in a straight line. You need to take this into account when taking aim."

"But Ritsuko, I've never practiced with this before, I don't think anyone has." Shinji told her with slight dismay.

"Don't worry; just do what the manual sais." She assured him. "As soon as the indicators converge, shot in the center. The MAGI will handle the rest. Also, be aware that if you need to fire a second time, you will need to let the cannon cool down before you reload it. You need to hit it the first time."

"What if I miss? Or the enemy shoots back?" He asked.

"Shinji, don't even think about something like that. You've got to destroy the angel with your first shot."

At this Jonathan interrupted. "Doctor, with all due respect, we always need a contingency plan. Especially when the plan has a less than eight percent chance of success."

"I'm afraid the reason there is no contingency is because we don't have one apart from 'let it cool down' and 'fire again'." She explained with a sigh.

"I'm only to defend Unit One, is that right?" Rei asked.

"That's correct." Misato told her.

"Understood."

"It's time, gear up." Misato ordered, earning another 'yes ma'am' from the pilots.

XXXXXX

As Shinji and Rei changed into their plug suits, Shinji thought about their situation.

"What if this is our last day alive?" He thought aloud. Rei, confused, merely asked "why would you say something like that?"

Taking a few moments to make a response, he was interrupted by Rei telling him "you won't die. I'll be protecting you."

XXXXXX

_I'm nearing my target, they will attack me soon. _Ramiel stated. _This shall be my moment of triumph as they try in desperation to defeat me._

_Be wary. _Tabris reminded him. _This could become your moment of defeat if you let your guard down._

_Something is happening. The luminance of the ground is suddenly going away. _Ramiel had no clue what the many had in mind, but he knew he was about to fight it off, whatever it may be.

XXXXXX

As darkness consumed the island nation, the two Evangelion pilots sat on a platform next to their machines, looking out into the darkness that was Tokyo-3.

"Ayanami" Shinji stated. "Why do you pilot this thing?"

Thinking of a way to properly explain her reasons without revealing what was not needed, she stated "I'm bonded to it."

"You're bonded to it?"

"Yes. It's a bond."

"You mean, to my father?" Shinji turned his eyes away from the girl and back to the city.

"To all people."

"You're very strong Rei." Shinji admitted.

"I have nothing else." She explained.

Confused, Shinji could only wonder allowed "what do you mean you have nothing else?"

Instead of answering the question, Rei stood up. From his point of view, Shinji could see her clearly in the pale moonlight. "It's time." After a few moments, she told him "goodbye Shinji."

XXXXXX

"Something wrong Captain?" Maya asked as she noticed Jonathan was passing.

"No, I'm just worried about Murphy's Law." He explained.

"Murphy's Law? I'm not familiar with it."

"It's simple, if something can go wrong, it will. And on top of that this place seems to be a magnet for it." He had to chuckle at the truth of his own statement, or at least the truth as he felt it was.

XXXXXX

"The time is approaching 000 hours." Misato stated over the base's intercom. As the moments ticked by, they eventually reached 23:59:59. The moment it changed to 00:00:00, the operation began.

Over the proceeding minutes the power generators and conductors which had been gathered started to come to life and generate power or direct power from the generators both assembled and around the country.

"Release final safety system." Misato ordered as the final stage of the charging began.

"Releasing final safety system." Makoto replied.

Inside his cockpit, the special helmet created for the operation moved itself over his head and began to target the angel.

"Transmitting all energy to the positron rifle." Makoto stated.

"10, 9, 8, 7,"

"High energy output detected." Maya warned.

"4, 3,"

"No, not again!" Ritsuko yelled.

"2, 1."

As the rifle was ready to fire, the MAGI completed their calculations on the location to aim for.

"Fire now!" Misato ordered, not wasting a second.

Pulling the trigger, the energy from the rifle launched at the same moment as an equally powerful beam escaped the angel towards Shinji. As the two shots repelled each other, the angel's hit some distance behind the firebase, but close enough to crock the vehicles assembled and cause serious vibration within the Evangelions. Shinji's shot merely hit the mountains on the other side of Tokyo-3.

"Did we hit? Did we miss?" Misato asked franticly as the equipment came back online.

The angel, not caring for the attack, continued to dig as it finally reached the massive cavity of the Geofront.

"Angel has breached the Geofront." Makoto informed the mobile command center.

"Hurry, second shot." Misato ordered.

Shinji quickly replaced the weapon's fuses, hoping for a quick retry.

As the rifle cooled down, the angel started to charge once more.

"Lookout Shinji!" Misato yelled as the angel fired once more.

Shinji braced himself for a blast which never came. After a moment he realized that Rei was standing in his way with the shield they had built.

"Ayanami!" He yelled at her. In front of him, the shield began to melt from the intensity of the heat.

"How long until it's ready?" Misato asked the techs.

"Ten more seconds." Makoto responded.

Shinji waited impatiently as the MAGI recalculated the line of fire. "Hurry up." He said in frustration. Moments later he yelled it again. The charge once again complete and the calculations ready he pulled the trigger. As the blast ripped through the angel, fire could be seen coming from the exit wound and the angel started to list.

"Yeah, we did it!" Misato cheered in joy. The team started to cheer with her, but a moment later the cheers where silenced as an ungodly scream so loud it caused all those in the Geofront, Tokyo-3 shelters and the firebase to cover their ears in a futile attempt to make the noise stop.

When it finally did, Misato took a good look at the angel. The angel was hurt, its shape, now a double-diamond with the core floating in the center, was full of cracks, both on the angel's 'skin' and its core, with large parts of both falling right off.

"Reload and fire again! We need to kill it and kill it now." Misato ordered.

"Impossible" Maya informed her. "The rifle was too damaged by the second firing, it will not fire again."

"Well somebody get the proton rifle up here, fire missiles, active point defenses. Somebody fire SOMETHING!" Misato ordered franticly.

As the three techs gave out orders to the lower ranked techs, they all stopped as a second, quieter scream was herd that was more an annoyance then a pain as the core shattered and the angel fell onto the city bellow.

"Who did that, what happened?" Ritsuko asked as the readings showed that the angel was now in fact dead. Before anyone could answer an object quickly came towards them from the remains of the angel, flying overhead before moments later a sonic boom meet them head on.

"What was that? Maya, identify that object." Misato ordered.

"Ma'am, the MAGI conclude it's one of ours, but not what." Maya replied.

"Ma'am, I'm getting a message." Shigeru stated.

"Put it on." Misato ordered.

"Unidentified object, this is NERV-1 requesting identification." Shigeru stated.

"_NERV-1, this is Evalon 2 pilot Leftenant Commander Mana Kirishima, reporting for duty as ordered."_

"Son of a bitch." Jonathan stated in English, momentarily forgetting he was in Japan.

XXXXXX

"Ayanami!" Shinji yelled as he moved Unit One to remove the back plating of Unit Zero. With its removal, the entry plug ejected and rapidly drained itself of LCL. Shinji, knowing what Rei must have been going through, pulled the entry plug out of Unit Zero and gently set it down on the ground.

Wasting no time, he immediately ejected his entry plug and ran to Rei's, using all his remaining strength to force it open. Though his hands burned, he ignored it. After a few moments that felt like an eternity, he finally opened the hatch.

"Ayanami! Are you alright? Ayanami!" He yelled as he took a look at her. She was lying on her side, eyes close. Not moving.

But when she did move, she looked up at him, momentarily forgetting where she was. It took a few moments, but her eyes focused to give a clear view of Shinji.

"I… don't ever say that." Shinji told her, tears welling up in his eyes. "Just don't say that you have nothing else. Just don't say that. And don't say goodbye when you go on a mission. It's just too sad."

When he stopped, he could not contain himself as he started to cry.

Moving herself to get a better view of him, Rei had a clearly confused look on her face. "Why are you crying?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I should do or feel at a time like this."

"Why don't you just try smiling?"

After a few moments, she did just that.

XXXXXX

AN: Well, that's the chapter. To be honest, I'm not very happy with it, but this is the best of my three drafts so I don't think I can make it much better.

An important not is that I will be going on an at least 2 month hiatus due to work making it literally impossible to do any work at all in my free time in all of July and August or even have the ability to simply check up on things like this site or Facebook. Simply put, I can't even start a rough draft until September, by which time school will have started so don't expect anything in the first half.

Not a great situation, but that's life.

Thank you for reading.


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